Images supplied by Taranaki Toa
WHENUA MAGAZINE | ISSUE 36
TARANAKI TOA – MOUNGA SERIES A TRIATHLON WITH A DIFFERENCE An annual Taranaki event which encourages whānau to get up and get active has gone from strength to strength with the support of PKW. The Taranaki Toa Mounga Tri Series was held in April in Opunake, with 205 competitors (166 of whom were Māori) determined to push themselves physically and mentally. The Mounga Tri Series is the brainchild of Taranaki Toa, a group from the Taranaki Māori community wanting to support whānau to pursue healthy lifestyles. One of the pioneers behind the event, Alf Robson (Ngāti Tama), is an inspiration to many. His journey to fitness is one many Māori men can relate to who have had to address their health issues as they got older.
“I had a relatively active sporting lifestyle and never had an issue with my weight,” says Alf. “But after retiring, all the kai that I ate while I was playing sport, without being able to put on an ounce of weight, suddenly I started packing it on. . “For most of my life I was pretty thin, and weighed around 89kg. Within five or six years my weight escalated to 125kg and I also noticed that my health was starting to pay a price. My head was telling me I was fit and fast, but my body was no longer following, my blood pressure was failing, and I was only in my early 40s.” Putting the dots together, Alf realised he needed to do something if he didn’t want to become another statistic, so
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