Nic Naitanui knows more than most how important it is to live in a world of diversity.
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For all the highs he has experienced as one of the world's most athletic sportsmen, Naitanui's has also experienced life as a social outcast growing up, and as the target of vile racial abuse while on the football field.
He's watched on as several of his contemporaries have been the target of sickening abuse - the likes of Indigenous stars Adam Goodes and Eddie Betts, and more recently a SANFL player who was targeted by Adelaide Crows forward Taylor Walker leading to a manufactured video apology.
"You're used to copping abuse on the football field whether it's from fans or supporters that don't really agree with what you do, but when it crosses the line in terms of racial vilification, it really hurts," Naitanui told The Canberra Times.
"It's something that deeply burns because it's been around for generations and something that myself in particular has had to deal with since I was a child.
"It's hard to explain this to people at times but it's something that's not a nice feeling, you could be the biggest star in the game but it can make you feel like the smallest person in the world.
"You get the guys like Eddie Betts, the guys like Adam Goodes and myself. At times you think you're the king of the world but comments like that can really ruin your spirits."
Naitanui has painted his ideal childhood in his latest children's book, titled Little Nic's Big World which has just been released.
The heart-warming title, illustrated beautifully by Fatima Anaya, follows little Nic from waking up in the morning to the schoolyard where friends expressing cultures from all over the world are attending a fete.
It includes several references to his Fijian heritage, while his mother, who Naitanui lost suddenly in 2015, takes little Nic to school and picks him up in the afternoon.
"It's all about diversity, all about different cultures and different things I guess as children you see at the schoolyard, and just accepting everyone's differences," Naitanui said.
"I've always been different and always looked different at home we spoke a different language and ate different foods, I have funny curly afro hair so I never quite fit in as well.
"The biggest thing at school at the moment and it always has been is bullying - I copped it a fair bit as a child.
"And that wasn't just the schoolyard, that's when you want to partake in a sport especially something like footy. Not having anyone that really looked like you was hard."