This week's Newsmaker is Maateiwarangi Heta-Morris who was named the over 95kg Australasian champion at the 2013 FitX Sport and Fitness Expo in Melbourne this month.
Tell us about yourself.
I'm a 24-year-old Maori who has lived in Rotorua most my life, my tribes are Te Arawa and Ngati Awa. My interests are sports, art and family time with my two kids Paiterangi and Leaone. I've been doing competitive arm wrestling for the last year. I enjoy this sport because it's not just about the power, it's about learning different techniques and how you can apply them in a match, you may have power but do you have power in your technique?
How does it feel to be the over 95kg Australasia champion?
Being the over 95kg Australasian champion is a great honour, especially being the first to hold an Australasian armwrestling title, even more so being Maori. I feel like I have done my family proud as well as the people that have supported me. I wouldn't have gotten this far without my training partner, Monty Corbett.
What sort of training went into becoming the champion?
Every Saturday me and my training partner practice for six hours. A lot of it is table time (arm-wrestling), finding out different techniques to use. We train our muscles to remember what they are meant to do so it's almost like it's automatic as soon as we jump on the table. For first timers, it is guaranteed they will walk away from their first training with a painful arm.
Were you an arm wrestler at school?
At school I did a lot of arm wrestling on those green rubbish bins. I'm pretty sure I won most of them, but that was when I didn't know what proper arm wrestling was. I also did power lifting and judo back at high school.
What do you for a job?
I currently work at Kilwell, night shift, our crew makes rowing oars. My job definitely helps with arm wrestling as some of the poles we have to lift are not that light.
You are now wanting to create a New Zealand arm-wrestling federation so you can compete at the world champs - what's involved in setting up such a federation?
Our crew Brothers in Arms is teaming up with the other crews in New Zealand to help set up a New Zealand arm wrestling federation. There is a New Zealand arm wrestling Facebook page. Once we have a federation set up, it will open us up for sponsors and bigger competitions like the world championships.
If you could choose anyone to arm wrestle against who would it be and why?
If I could choose anyone to arm wrestle it would be the number-one ranked arm wrestler in the world, Devon Larratt. I have recently arm wrestled the greatest arm wrestler ever John Brzenk. What an experience that was.
Tell us three things about yourself that most people wouldn't know.
As big as I am, I hate moths.
I love to cook.
Every day I watch the movie Cars 2 with my son because it's his favourite movie and I have to sit there and watch it with him.