Halberg Water Sports day

On Saturday, the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation and Flight Centre hosted a water sports program at Midway Beach, to make surfing and Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) accessible to those with physical disabilities. The program was a first for the Tairawhiti region and will be the catalyst to similar events in the future.

The program ran with the help of the Ngāti Porou Surf Life Saving Club, and they were trained in the use of the modified equipment involved. The Ngāti Porou SLC will now take this program to other locations up and down the coast to allow even more Tairawhiti residents with physical disabilities to experience water surfing and Stand Up Paddle Boarding.

Weighn Wilson gives SUP a try. Continue reading “Halberg Water Sports day”

Poverty Bay U18 and U15 ‘did their district proud’

Poverty Bay development manager Dwayne Russell said the Poverty Bay under-18 girls and u15 girls “did their coaches and the district proud’ at a sevens tournament in Marton.
“Both teams were up against bigger unions winning four of their five games,” said Russell.
“It was a round-robin tournament with no final games and the the girls were a credit to their coaches and the union.
Under-15 coach and Bay Heartland midfielder sevens stalwart, TK Moeke said the opportunity to coach the team was a blessing.
“Watching them develop over the past weeks at training and how they implemented all their skill learned in the games was awesome to watch. he said.
“It amazes me how these young girls can be so dedicated to sevens rugby., training 4-to-5 days a week and managing their school work just goes to show the hard work pays off.
“A lot of our girls made a big impression on New Zealand sevens selector Chad Tuoro.”

Continue reading “Poverty Bay U18 and U15 ‘did their district proud’”

Huge turnout for Junior Sport Week

Last week over 200 high school students enjoyed a streak of sunny, blistering days during our Junior Sport Week. The students participated in a range of fun-focused activities including surfing, softball, waka ama, ki-o-rahi and many others.

The Junior Sport Week is our initiative to offer sport participation opportunities in a term that’s too busy to run our usual Wednesday Sport program. Instead the activities are packed into one huge week and students have the opportunity to select whichever sports appeal to them.

Hot Wheels spinning again for the summer

The ‘Hot Wheels’ wheelchair basketball league is back in full force for the summer, having played (and won) their first game of the season last night. The Hot Wheels are coached by Whiti Ora Community Sport Advisor Ray Noble,  and are now in their third year.

The program creates a fun and friendly environment in which children with physical disabilities can be part of a team. Social interaction and membership of a group working together to achieve goals are aspects of the exercise that have been hugely beneficial in each athlete’s personal development.

The program is made possible by the generous support of Lytton High School.

 

SGT Dietitian Mary Hope weighs in on 9-6-4 and the holiday period

Last night Mary Hope from the Whiti Ora Active Health team provided a free clinic in partnership with Huringa Pai on how the 9-6-4 program can work through the festive season.

9-6-4 is a health choice based on recommendations from the World Health Organisation as to how much (added) sugar should be consumed within a day. This being 9 teaspoons for men, 6 for women and 4 for children. This health movement has a strong following within the Huringa Pai community and has changed the lives of many.

The clinic examined many popular alcoholic drinks and their sugar content, many of which came as a shock to those in attendance. Most RTD’s, beers and wines would cause someone to reach their daily sugar limit in a single serving. Combined with the often indulgent food choices made through the holiday period, Mary highlighted a need for mindfulness to maintain healthy diet and lifestyle choices through the holidays.

 

Mary’s key holiday recommendations:

  • Compensate for indulgent days by getting out and being active before or after
  • Abide by the ‘healthy plate model’ of half fruit/veg, quarter proteins and quarter starch/carbs
  • Look for opportunities to substitute healthy ingredients into your classic recipes i.e yoghurt for cream
  • When drinking alcohol, consume equal parts water throughout
  • Take advantage of the inexpensive fresh, local fruit and veg available during this time

Watch the full presentation here

Huringa Pai - Mary