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National | Boxing

Native Affairs – Fight For Life

It's estimated one in three adults in Hawke's Bay are obese, Tipene Maaka is one of them. He once weighed 400 kilograms and it's literally forced him into a fight for his life.

Tipene Maaka was once bedridden, not even able to stand.

“I have been big all my life. There is a switch inside me that has just turned on and I'm sick of looking at myself and being obese, being big.”

Eight months on, Tipene has lost 147kgs thanks to the team at 'Hikoi For Life' gym in Hastings and 'Front Row' fitness programme.

“I was 400 Kgs, I'm now 240. It has been a bit of an up and down journey.

Other gyms they look at you, they are very self-image, image is a thing. Here it’s not about image, it is about whakawhanaungatanga that you get from the bros, they help me.”

CEO of Hikoi For Life says they cater to a community with many complex issues, providing an environment of health and fitness that is transforming lives.

“We have over 1500 members, 121 kaumātua. Eighty per cent of our 1500 members are from the ages of 16 – 60. We have 278 tamariki that are all engaged in Hikoi For Life.

The things that stop us from coming to places like this are cost, the other one is approachability and having the right ahua or the right atmosphere for when they come in. We are here to support anyone that comes through the door.”

Tipene's ultimate goal is to get his weight right down to 100kgs.  He says diet is just as important as exercise.

“Diet is 75% of weight loss. It is diet you have to make change if you want the outcome to be positive. I have dropped bread and sugar for 8 months so that has helped. I have replaced sugar with honey, I have replaced bread with eating more vegetables and fruits.

I know people say diet, 'oh that is a skinny man’s word'. It isn’t, it is truly up to you to make a change and only you can make the change, nobody else.”

Tipene has confronted many challenges in life.  The loss of his 4-year-old son in a drowning accident four years ago sent him struggling with depression.  Lost and alone he became homeless and living in his car in Hastings.

And now Tipene has just been diagnosed with colon cancer.

“Just keep it up, whatever life throws at you. Just find your way, reach inside and just keep moving don’t stop. I have the colon cancer. I used to come and train twice a day, but because I do my medication in the mornings I have only got enough energy to train in the afternoon. I'm going to fight the colon cancer, I'm going to win.

To go from that to where I’m now is really awesome, it’s amazing.  The people that I have met here, I’ve got my own home now."

Tipene say's he's even more determined to beat the cancer and to continue on his weight loss goal.