Island Achiever
Meet the Region's Mr. Olympics
Dr. Robin Mitchell, the only Pacific Islander on the all-powerful IOC
The entire freeway is closed off for him, he is chauffeured-driven in limousines when he steps off the airplane, he is accorded top security and only stays in the best of hotels wherever he goes. And locally in Fiji, he is just known as a humble, smiling and a downright nice man.
Fifty-six-year-old Dr Robin Mitc-hell is a name one in Fiji associates with medicine easily, and of course, sports. But at international level, his influence cannot be underestimated. He is one of the key people who controls the Olympics and all those millions and millions of dollars generated by the games.
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Mitchell heads the Oceania National Olympic Committee (ONOC) based at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Suva. ONOC looks after countries in the Oceania region that participate at the Olympic Games and these include Australia, New Zealand and the rest of the Pacific islands nations.
Being chief of ONOC, Mitchell is the sole Pacific Islander who sits on the all-powerful International Olympic Committee (IOC). And with that comes huge responsibilities that sees him off and away to Europe at least once a month. He has been a member of IOC since 1994.
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Mitchell began his association with the august body as a team doctor for the Fiji team to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles way back in 1984. "I went as team doctor to LA, and the team manager then, the late Brian Wightman urged me to join FASANOC (Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee). So I did the following year in 1985," he said. The soft-spoken man said his association with the IOC, dating back to 1994, has had a profound effect on Fiji and around the region.
"As a member of the IOC's Solidarity Commission, I am in a position to be involved in the funding of programmes for sports development in the region, as well as determining levels of funding." "In addition, membership of the IOC allows close contacts with International federations, thereby allowing access to additional sources of funding and programmes," Mitchell said.
While a student at Levuka Public School, Mitchell represented Fiji in the first South Pacific Games in Suva in 19963 in the 110-metre hurdles. Included in the same team were Fiji Fish boss, Graham Southwick; former school principal, Amani Racule; and former parliamentarian, Viliame Saulekaleka.
Mitchell later went on to represent Fiji in hockey, a game that he still considers close to his heart. Mitchell reminisced about his early days as an athlete in Levuka and described his attendance of the Olympic Games as a highlight of his career. "Entering the stadium with the Fiji team to the applause of the crowd was awesome and tremendous," he said.
Mitchell's influence these days cannot be underestimated. He is close to the new IOC president, Belgium doctor, Jacques Rogge. They had served together on the IOC's medical commission. Mitchell was the person nominated as his successor on the World Anti-doping Agency. That came about this year when Rogge stepped down from the anti-doping agency after his election to succeed Juan Antonio Samaranch as Olympic boss. "This is an honour and at the same time it is a big task because now it means more time and commitment to the job," he said.
Mitchell has hopes of more Pacific Islanders making it on the IOC. "We hope to have two more members from the Pacific and under the current system the earliest we could hope to have a new member is 2003/2004."
