During the preparation for the 2011 Pacific Games, she sought to be selected for the touch rugby team. When that wasn't included in the programme, she decided to try powerlifting and discovered she had some ability at it. At the Games, Fuamatu placed second in the under-84 kg class and won the silver medal. Following the competition, she suffered an injury while completing a dead lift. She suffered a slipped disc in her spine, and thought that she would not be able to compete at the same level as before. In 2014, she returned to New Zealand from Samoa, and began studying for a degree in public health at the University of Auckland.