A new television programme is seeing local whanau working together to make life-changing transformations.
2Kaha premiered on Saturday and introduced two teams who will embark on a 10-week health and lifestyle challenge.
The TV2 programme will follow their journey of inspiration and will capture the highs and lows while they battle it out each week to win a prize for their community.
The roopu (group) with the greatest collective weight loss will win the programme's major prize.
The teams consist of 20 people each and are named 2Kotahi, which is led by fitness trainers Maylene Meroiti (Ngati Whakaue) and 2Hiringa led by Kahira-Rata Olley (Ngati Rongomai, Ngati Pikiao).
Trainers come down from Auckland each Saturday to put each team through their paces and for the weekly weigh-in.
Miss Meroiti works with youth at Te Waiariki Purea Trust and Mrs Olley runs the Rhodesia Fit training programme in Rotoiti.
Both women said that for them it's a passion to see their whanau become healthier. They both juggle their work and family commitments with training their team.
"It's not just about the individual, it's about the collective as a roopu having personal struggles, but together," Mrs Olley said.
"It's taken a lot for them to come on board, some have said "no" because it's on TV. They're scared because they're putting 100kg to 200kg all on TV."
Miss Meroiti said it was about relating to each other.
"We brought in a kaumatua Paraone Pirika as our taonga and he came up with 2Painga, the stages of Tumatauenga [the god of war/battle]."
She said that he explained the phases of breaking down, hitting the wall and rebuilding for a better person.
"We're just wanting to help the whanau and when we say whanau we mean it as a general term."
Both women said the biggest challenge for them was to keep their team's motivation high.
"We're trainers am and pm, we also have children, moko(s) so it's been a huge commitment," Mrs Olley said.
"For me, it's not rocket science, we were meeting in a park in the rain charging nothing.
"Even now I charge a $1 if they can for the equipment. It's about teaching our whanau, that training doesn't have to mean going to the gym, it's about moving, even just walking and changing your diet and lifestyle.
"So many of my whanau have been struck down even in the last couple of months and it's about what they're putting into their bodies."
Miss Meroiti said they would incorporate maara kai (vegetable gardens).
"It has to fit in with our families, a lot of families only have $100 for kai and that's for a family of six, they're not going to be buying organic."
The trainers have clear visions of what they want the programme to achieve.
"Forty participants don't just reap the rewards from this 2hauora challenge but 40 whanau do, and we hope it becomes contagious and whanau all around the motu become inspired to do the same," Mrs Olley said.
2Kaha isby Tumehe and Serena Rongonui and screens every Saturday on TV2 at 10am.