The Tauranga Boys' College students completed a 40-hour physical activity challenge to raise awareness around mental health. Photo / Benji_Photoss
The Tauranga Boys' College students completed a 40-hour physical activity challenge to raise awareness around mental health. Photo / Benji_Photoss
Tears were shed after a gruelling 40-hour physical activity challenge that saw six Tauranga Boys’ College students doing “hardcore” gym sessions and “surf torture” at Mount Maunganui beach.
Head boy Kane McBrydie, deputy head boy Jake Corney and fellow head students Bodhi Redwood, Samuel Sutton, Alex White and Reed Tongdid their own version of Navy Seal Training - called Fortress 40 - to raise awareness around mental health.
The challenge - which included swimming, biking, running and waka ama - took place in various locations across Tauranga from 4am on Friday to 8pm on Saturday.
McBrydie said the group’s goal was to encourage “one person” to have a conversation with someone about their mental health.
After several people had come forward and opened up about their struggles, McBrydie said they had “far surpassed” their goal.
“I don’t think we really knew how big and powerful this event was really going to be,” Corney said.
The Tauranga Boys' College students during a "surf torture" session on Friday night. Photo / Benji_Photoss
Speaking to the Bay of Plenty Times, McBrydie said the challenge got “pretty rough” on Saturday.
“Everyone definitely had their own individual struggles but personally, the hardest part for me was in the third-to-last session, we were in the gym ... and we couldn’t have any tunes going and we had to be pretty quiet because we had a yoga class upstairs.”
By that point, everyone had “low morale” and was tired and sore, he said.
“We were meant to be doing a hardcore session in the gym and I could just see a lot of the boys were sort of questioning if they wanted to keep going even though we were so close to the end.”
McBrydie said they paused the session and had a motivating conversation.
“Then we just went from there with a little bit more energy ... that sort of team mentality was reignited. And then we just flew to the end from there.”
The surf torture sessions were previously described as “lying in the water with the waves crashing over us”.
The students at Mount Maunganui Main Beach on Friday. Photo / Alex Cairns
McBrydie said some supporters joined them in the ocean at Mount Maunganui beach for the challenge on Saturday morning which “really pumped us up and got us through it”.
Before the final session, McBrydie said “a few tears” were shed during the team huddle knowing the influence they’d had on others and how proud they were of each other.
“They were happy tears - just overwhelmed with emotion.”
He said the funds raised for Movember - a charity for men’s mental health - were “the cherry on top”.
At the time of writing, the group had raised $4746.
“[I’m] so proud of the fellas and so proud of what we’ve done.”
Corney said the surf torture sessions were the “hype” of the event.
“We were all linking arms with waves crashing over us. Every time a wave hit us, we’d just scream and yell.”
Corney said the in-person support was “sensational”.
“We’d been a part of something for the past 40 hours. The friendships ... you develop over 40 hours like that is something special.”
Corney said they were contacted by soldiers and “people from all over the world” showing their support for their challenge and saying they were struggling with mental health.
His advice said to value your friends as people to speak to about mental health.
“The mates are the people that know you, especially if you play sport with them or if you’re in school with them, they’ve been through your highs and lows.”
The pair thanked Tauranga Boys’ College staff, the Foundation Clinic, Liz Van Welie Aquatics, Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service, Natural Fit, Hoe Aroha Whanau o Mauao, Classic Builders, The Lighthouse Project and “everyone else who came to support”.
Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.
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