I’ve always been hungry for success.”
That was how Apisalome Bai Seru, an old scholar of Lodoni’s prestigious all-boys institution Ratu Kadavulevu School (RKS), who has now made a name for himself serving as an officer in the Royal Navy, described himself.
As students, old scholars, and well-wishers marked the 100th anniversary of the school with a week-long celebration that concludes today, The Sunday Times caught up with Apisalome, who was among the many ‘old boys’ who had travelled from overseas to be part of the festivities.
Apisalome hails from the village of Nabaitavo nestled in the lush green highlands of Naitasiri with maternal links to Yavuloa in Nadroga.
He is married to Kesaia from Nakeleyaga village on the island of Kabara in the Lau group and they are proud parents to six children.
His desire to achieve more and become the best version of himself was inculcated in him early on in his life, especially during his years at RKS.
“I joined RKS in 1987 and at that time the school principal was Mr Amraiya Naidu.”
“There wasn’t many of us at the time, I remember there were only about 450 students then,” he recalled.
He progressed to Form four (Year 10) and chose the arts combination of subjects, studying accounting and economics.
Apisalome excelled as an athlete. His prowess and physicality on the rugby field secured him a place in the school’s under-15 team that went on to win their grade in the 1988 Deans competition.
He further went on to be part of the under-16 and 17 teams that won their respective grades in the Deans competition in 1989 and 1990 respectively.
Apisalome encountered his first major academic hurdle when he had to leave RKS to attend Ratu Sukuna Memorial School (RSMS) and resit his Fiji School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) exam.
While attempting to better his academic performance at RSMS, he also joined and captained the school’s under-19 rugby team in 1992.
“I led the team to the Deans trophy competition of that year, we had a great run but sadly we couldn’t qualify for the quarterfinals,” he said.
After passing his FSLC he returned to Lodoni to continue his studies.
“I came back to RKS to do automotive engineering, so I did stage one and stage two.”
He also got a chance at redemption, playing an instrumental role in helping the RKS under-19 Deans team beat Suva Grammar in Lautoka and claim the title.
In his final year in 1993, Apisalome reached the pinnacle of his student life, after he was appointed to lead the young men of RKS as head boy.
“Student numbers had grown significantly since I joined the school and by the time I became head boy, there were over a thousand students,” he said.
“It was an enormous challenge and responsibility but I’m glad I had the support of my teachers and fellow brothers in school.”
After leaving RKS, Apisalome joined the Fiji Marine Department as a trainee engineer.
“I was at the marine department till 2000 when I applied to join the Fiji Navy and was accepted. So, I joined the Fiji Navy a month after the coup of 2000,” he said.
Apisalome described his time in the Fiji Navy as “some of the most enjoyable years of his life”.
“I loved serving in the navy here, I remember playing a lot of rugby and representing the naval team on the field.”
However, he always had a longstanding desire to go overseas and applied to join the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom.
“So, after three and a half years, I left Fiji in 2003 to join the Royal Navy,” he said.
“I have been serving for 21 years now. Next year will mark 22 years and I have been contracted to serve another five years after that.”
The Naitasiri man now serves as a naval engineer onboard the Royal Navy’s lead aircraft carrier, the HMS Queen Elizabeth.
“My advice to the youth, especially to the young men of RKS now, is to concentrate on their academic performance and aim to achieve the best result they can,” he stressed.
Apisalome also believes that while sports can be a tool to instil discipline and focus, academic excellence and skills development must always be the utmost priority for anyone.
“My biggest inspiration has always been God. I am a born-again Christian and I strongly believe that if you want to be successful in whatever you do, your faith in God and understanding his plan for you must be central in your life.”
