Cyclone Gabrielle might be in the midst of causing havoc around Te Ika a Māui, but that isn't putting a dampener on preparations for a group of cyclists heading to Te Matatini to raise awareness of cervical cancer.
The Ride for Talei kaupapa will leave Te Papa in Wellington tomorrow on a gruelling 800km journey to Tāmaki Makaurau where the riders hope to arrive for the pōhiri at Ōkahumatamomoe next Tuesday.
It will be the second time the kaupapa has taken to the road ahead of the national kapa haka competition in honour of Talei Morrison who died of cervical cancer in 2018. The Te Mātārae i o Rehu performer was just 42.
Her brother, Eruera Keepa, will be one of the riders leaving Wellington tomorrow. He says the kaupapa is a way of combining her dedication to kapa haka and the Smear Your Mea campaign she launched before her passing.
"We saw it as a good opportunity to help elevate some coverage of this kaupapa. You've got kapa haka, and you've got a physical feat hand in hand. So finishing up at Te Matatini is another way to bring her legacy into kapa haka so that it still continues. That is raising cervical cancer awareness."
The journey began in Rotorua this morning with a karakia at Talei's resting place in Rotorua, led by former Māori kdevelopment minister Te Ururoa Flavell who will once again lead the peloton north.
Keepa says the riders have been keeping an eye on the weather, particularly as the cyclone makes its way south.
"We've been paying really close attention to the modelling and what the weather forecast could look like. We do have a plan B, it might just mean that we hold off for a little bit until the weather subsides or we go to the next leg of this journey.
"If we were to skip a leg or two I feel the kaupapa will still carry us strongly throughout the motu."
"It will be a common sense call together with the police. Our race director will make the call that ensures the safety of all."
The group of riders, including friends and whānau of Talei and others who have their own personal motivation, come from all over Aotearoa and Australia.
Cancer stories
"It's not just about Talei. They have their own stories of cancer and, as Talei's brother and as the name of the kaupapa suggests, it's a platform for everyone's story to be expressed."
The first leg of the journey will see the rōpū head up State Highway 1 with a police escort stopping at Ōtaki and Levin on the way to Foxton where they have partnered with local health organisations to help spread the message and mobilise whānau to get screened.
Keepa says even though the kaupapa is aimed at cervical cancer awareness, male whānau members have an important role to play.
"For me as a man, what is my role as a brother, as a nephew and as a father? It might be something cheeky, it depends on your relationship with your auntie or your mom. 'Hey, Mom, I just saw this thing on Māori TV. Is this part of your regular checkup?'
"Every family has their own way of encouraging and motivating the women in their lives into action but also as a man, you've got prostate cancer, you've got other cancers as well that are more male-focused."
