[1][2] Salome Tabuatalei was born in the village of Wailevu in Macuata Province on the north-eastern part of the island of Vanua Levu in Fiji, where her father, who had been an athlete, was a forester.
Invited to take part in Fiji's national trials in Suva at a young age, she was prevented from doing so by the non-arrival of the boat to get her to the main island of Viti Levu.
[1][2][3] Tabuatalei first competed for Fiji in the Pacific Mini Games, held in Port Vila, Vanuatu in 1993, where she ran in the 1500 metres.
In 2011 in New Caledonia and 2015 in Papua New Guinea she competed in the marathon at the now-renamed Pacific Games.
[1][4] In 2010, Tabuatalei took part in a three-month voyage on the Uto ni Yalo, one of seven large Vakas that travelled the Pacific Ocean highlighting conservation issues and reviving traditional sailing and navigational knowledge.