[1] Katoatau represented Kiribati in weightlifting at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, where he also served as the national flag bearer at the opening ceremony.

[6][7] In 2016, Katoatau gained international press attention for dance routines he performed after completing clean and jerk lifts at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which he stated he did in order to raise awareness of global warming in Kiribati.

[8][9][10] Katoatau was born in Nonouti, Kiribati, and grew up in Nauru, where his father worked in the phosphate industry.

[12] In 2015, Katoatau's family home in Buota was destroyed by rising tides;[8] at 2014 Commonwealth Games, Katoatau and his then-coach Paul Coffa had written an open letter raising attention to the issue of homes being lost to rising sea levels in Kiribati.

[9] Katoatau believes that Kiribati lacks the resources to fight climate change and needs the support of the international community.