The 2023 student leaders from Tauranga Boys' College who founded the 40-hour physical activity challenge to raise money for Movember.
Six Tauranga Boys’ College students are continuing the “legacy” of former students by taking on a 40-hour physical activity challenge to raise awareness for mental health.
The Fortress 40 challenge is back for its second year after six prefects and head students initiated it last year and href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/tauranga-boys-college-students-raise-almost-5000-for-mens-mental-health-charity/R5AA3YQ2VBHG7OKGBCERDNBA7U/">raised about $5000 for Movember – a charity for men’s mental health.
Now, the current prefects and head students want to make it a “tradition” as they take on the challenge on September 20.
The challenge involves a series of extreme physical activities including gym sessions, running, cycling, swimming, Waka Ama, and cold-tolerance training for 39 hours. Participants will sleep for one hour.
Head prefect Michael van Lieshout told the Bay of Plenty Times he saw what the students achieved last year and how it impacted people.
“[We] just thought that it’s such a great event for a really good cause ... And we’re just quite keen to continue their legacy and make it a tradition.
“It’s all about helping people which we’re really keen on doing.”
Six Tauranga Boys' College students are doing the Fortress 40 challenge to raise money for Movember. From left to right: Michael van Lieshout - head prefect, Jack Muir - deputy head prefect, Jake Stott, Harley Gardiner, Gabe Roberts, Seb Heath - deputy head prefect and Sam Sutton at the front - one of the 2023 prefects who founded Fortress 40.
Van Lieshout said in his view, there was a stigma for men talking about mental health, especially at an all-boys school.
Getting people to talk about mental health was “a really important cause”, he said.
Van Lieshout said the programme was similar to last year’s including “surf torture” sessions.
“Basically, [we] link arms and sit down in the surf and get smashed by the waves ... We’ve thrown in a couple of bike rides around Daisy Hardwick.”
He said the group had been doing team training twice a week for the past five or six weeks.
Van Lieshout said the students who did the challenge last year were coming to support them. The group will have someone qualified in first aid with them at all times.
A mental and physical challenge
Student Harley Gardiner said he believed there was a stigma about men and young boys not talking about mental health.
“As we are role models at the school, hopefully those younger boys will look up to us and be able to speak up about their own mental health.”
Gardiner said he was most looking forward to challenging himself physically and mentally.
The football player said he was “quite fit” and thought the runs would be the easiest.
“But the hardest would definitely be the swim – I haven’t hopped in a pool in a very long time and I feel like swimming fitness is probably a bit different to running fitness.”
Gardiner said the group had been having sausage sizzles as fundraising events for Movember.
Deputy head prefects Seb Health and Jack Muir and students Gabe Roberts and Jake Stott are also participating.
Tauranga Boys' College principal Andrew Turner. Photo / Mead Norton
Principal Andrew Turner said last year’s first-ever event was a “huge success” not only raising more than $5000 for men’s mental health but also inspiring this year’s group of prefects to build on this legacy.
Turner said it would become an annual event.
“Our boys have captured the vision inspired by last year’s head boy Kane McBrydie. They are committed to raising awareness for men’s mental health and will continue to build on this commitment.
“The goal of education is to grow and develop committed citizens who will give back and add value to society. We are incredibly proud of the efforts of these young men who are taking on this challenge and commitment to give back to our wider community.”
People can donate to the students’ fundraiser on the Movember website.
Where to get help
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
