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Indigenous triathlon feeds ‘good addiction’ to IronM¯aori events

Jody O’Callaghan This is Public Interest Journalism funded by New Zealand on Air.

It’s the whanaungatanga and manaakitanga that keeps bringing competitors back to IronMa¯ori events, including ‘‘addicted’’ 60-year-old Albie Hawea who will take part in its inaugural fulldistance triathlon.

The IronMa¯ ori Toa – in Napier on December 3 – will be the first indigenous triathlon in the world, with the 17-hour event including a 3.8km ocean swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km run.

The 14-year-old multi-sport organisation focuses on getting wha¯ nau out and active, and crossing the finish line safely, founder and chief executive officer Heather Te Au-Skipworth (Nga¯ ti Kahungunu) says. ‘‘We don’t create events for elites, but we have created elite athletes.’’

Organisers noticed competitors, after about five years of racing, would look for bigger challenges like the New York Marathon. So after two years of Covid-related upheaval, organisers had time to take the event to the next level for 2022.

Registrations flooded in from racers aged between 26 and 76, but she thought it would likely settle at around 250 on the day due to factors like Covid. ‘‘We actually think it’s a nice number to focus on everybody really well.’’

IronMa¯ ori was different from other races because of its whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, and focus on health and wha¯ nau, she said. Races could be ‘‘very much about the event and not so much about the people … ushered through like cattle’’.

‘‘We don’t undervalue the beauty of whanaungatanga and manaakitanga. It’s never about a swim, it’s never about a bike, it’s never about a run. It’s about creating some systems that you can transfer into everyday life.’’

Because it was not governed by the officiated triathlon organisation, it added ways for marshals to help racers with things like unzipping their wetsuits, helping them out of the water, and allowing wha¯ nau to join them on parts of the run or while crossing the finish line.

‘‘IronMa¯ ori promote that – you can take your wha¯nau on the journey with you. Everybody benefits when you get well.’’

It also had a training camp in October, where the experienced often guided the ‘‘newbies’’, and that tuakana-teina relationship worked in reverse too. ‘‘Everybody has something to offer.’’

Hawea (Nga¯ ti Kahungunu) has type 2 diabetes. He wanted to be able to run around with his moko, so he turned his health around.

The Omahu local was impressed by the ‘‘atmosphere, the kaupapa and how everyone is friendly’’ when he watched the first event run by Skipworth – whom he coached in rugby

– to support his wife in a team category.

The next year his 17-year-old son came home and said he had entered a team. ‘‘‘Oh yeah, who is in your team?’ I asked.

‘‘‘Mum is swimming, you’re biking 90km, and I’m running.’ Looking back, it was so cool.’’

Hawea went on to complete more than a dozen IronMa¯ori events, and two full IronMan races. ‘‘It’s an addiction, but it’s a good addiction.’’

It was only because of IronMa¯ori events that he and many others ever thought it possible. When he began swim training 10 years ago, his speed was similar to an elderly lady walking in the swim lane each morning. Then about a month later she told him, ‘‘Oi, I think you’ve got to move into lane two, because you are getting faster.’’

‘‘I don’t go hard, I just go and enjoy it. I just love it. It involves all our family,’’ Hawea said.

His two moko did their first rangatahi event two years ago aged 9 and 10 after being there through all his training. ‘‘They used to come and say, ‘Pa¯ pa¯ ’s going to get me a medal’.’’

Lining up in other events with elite athletes could be quite ‘‘scary’’ for Hawea, but IronMa¯ ori was different. ‘‘People are happy, and people are doing it, and it doesn’t matter how big you are or what colour you are, everyone is so encouraging.’’

His doctor was happy now too, Hawea said. He carried on for his health, for his moko, and for the enjoyment ‘‘because one day I won’t be able, and I don’t want to have any regrets’’.

Te Au-Skipworth said the races were an education process for Ma¯ ori and non-Ma¯ ori – who made up half of the athletes, ‘‘to show them a Ma¯ ori worldview through triathlons’’.

Their bibs sported the tinorangatiratanga flag, the whakaputanga flag, and the NZ flag to provoke discussion.

It was becoming increasingly popular among nonMa¯ori due to the inclusive nature of the event, she said.

‘‘You can take your wha¯nau on the journey with you. Everybody benefits when you get well.’’ Heather Te AuSkipworth

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2022-11-27T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-11-27T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/281844352646584

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