I tū te kaupapa tuatahi o PATU Aotearoa - PATU at Pania i Ahuriri i te ata nei. Kō atu i te toru rau ngā tāngata nō ngā tāone maha o te motu i tae atu, kia whai oranga, kia heke hoki i ngā tatauranga o te mate mōmōna.
I te takiritanga o te ata i whakarauika mai ngā whānau toru rau neke atu ki Ahuriri kia patu ai i te rori.
Hei tā te kaiwhakahaere o PATU a Levi Armstrong, “We planned a 5km, 10km walk or run it's just about the whānau setting small goals, achievable goals and eventually we want to do 30km by the end of the year.”
E ai ki tetahi atu o ngā kaiwhakahaere a Jackson Waerea, “Hopefully we're proving that exercise is for everybody but it's just how they embrace it and hopefully we got the right tool for that.”
I haere mai rātou mai ngā pito maha o te motu, hei whakakotahi i raro i te maru o te whare hākinakina PATU.
“The Patu kaupapa as it stands alone is awesome and it invites everyone of all ages and abilities to come and do this today whether it's the hīkoi or a run. Just all the support from all over the motu has been awesome, “ hei tā Kia Diamond he kaiwhakahaere.
He kaupapa tikanga māori a PATU e whai ana i te ara hauora me te whakahiato i ngā tatauranga mate mōmōna mate huka hoki.
“Half of our Māori and Pacific adult population are considered obese, but I suppose just getting them in the door is a start, so if we can get two of those whānau members in the gym that is going a long way to smashing some of those stats,” hei tā Waerea.
He timatatanga tēnei mō ētahi o rātou. Ko te whainga matua, kia whaia te pae tawhiti kia tata.
“The Patu kaupapa as it stands alone is awesome and it invites every one of all ages and abilities to come and do this today whether it's the hīkoi or a run. Just all the support from all over the motu has been awesome,” says facilitator, Kia Diamond.
Tikanga Māori is at the heart of PATU with the aim of getting people healthy to help reduce obesity and diabetes rates.
“Half of our Māori and Pacific adult population are considered obese....but I suppose just getting them in the door is a start ... so if we can get two of those whānau members in the gym that is going a long way to smashing some of those stats,” says Waerea.
Today marks the first step for many here to begin their journey to a healthier future.
