Haumoana schoolgirls up for a challenge

The Blazing Gannets Lauren Swift, Frances Rainbow, Tessa Burns, all 11-years-old, training for this weekend's Cape Kidnappers Challenge. Photo/Duncan Brown.

Three Year 6 girls from Haumoana School are ready to put up a fight at the Staples Rodway Cape Kidnappers Challenge this Saturday under the team name Blazing Gannets.

They will be splitting the 32km race into three parts approximately 11km each. Lauren Swift has the beach, Frances Rainbow has the river crossings and Tessa Burns has the "big hill".

Blazing Gannets team member Frances said they had been hard at work preparing for such a vigorous challenge including a training run along the beach to the Cape.

"Every Wednesday we go to Te Mata Peak, we have been training for five or six weeks now."

Keen companion puppy Milo has also tagged along to the girls' training sessions for a chance to get fit and explore the local terrain.

For their remarkable efforts Gannet Beach Adventures has sponsored the girls' entry fee and has also given them a T-shirt each to wear during the challenge. Gannet Beach Adventures managing director Kim Lindsay said they were "all determined girls and are very capable".

While the girls take part in other sports such as netball, soccer and orienteering, their teacher David Barclay had rustled up lots of support when it comes to stepping up to a sporting challenge.

"Their teacher this year is very sport-orientated, he really pushes all the kids to give things a go," Mrs Lindsay said.

The girls are the youngest team to enter this year and said that they were nervous but very excited to be taking part in the challenge.