Teens go all out for health challenge

Alex Turley and Portia Sutherland are raising funds by participating in the Snap Cares: 8-Week Challenge for the Mental Health Foundation.

How dedicated is Portia Sutherland to helping others?

While participating in the Snap Cares: 8-Week Challenge for the Mental Health Foundation, the Hawke's Bay teen has even offered to ride her bike to pick up donations from people who can't come to her.

Portia and her friend, Alex Turley, both 17, have been going full speed ahead with the Snap Fitness challenge, taking collection buckets to their respective schools and organising fundraising events.

They've taken to the physical aspects of the challenge as well. Since it started on September 1, they've worked out at Snap Fitness Hastings six days a week, for one to two hours at a time.

"Exercise has a really big impact on mental health," says Alex.

"They sort of link together. Snap is promoting how getting into shape, getting your body how you want it, all sort of ties into your mental state."

"Once you're at peace, with your mind and your body, those things will become part of each other," says Portia.

"We're working to get into the sort of lifestyle where we can have good mental health ourselves and be all-round healthier."

Helping the Mental Health Foundation is important to the girls, who are both in Year 12. Portia attends Karamu High School while Alex is at Hastings Girls'. Both schools have lost students to suicide this year.

"I've had multiple suicides within my friend's family and friends over the past few years," says Portia. "I know that New Zealand's mental health is horrendous. It is an illness, it's not just a bad day. We need to support the Mental Health Foundation more."

"As soon as I heard about this fundraiser, I had my heart set on helping," says Alex. "It felt like the right thing to do because it's a great foundation that helps so many people."

Once too shy to use the main exercise areas, Portia feels the challenge has boosted her confidence.

"I'm feeling more comfortable with the gym and with myself," she says. "I feel more of a connection with everyone here, because we're always asking 'how's the challenge going?' We're motivating each other and that's a nice feeling to have.

"I love coming to the gym. It's makes my day, every day."

In an effort to include the public in their fundraising efforts, Portia and Alex have organised Dance-Fit For Mental Health, a one-hour dance fitness class. It will run from 5-6pm on Friday, September 22, in the Karamu High School gymnasium. Tickets are $5 purchased in advance.

Portia is hoping the response to the class will be as positive as the reaction she receives when she takes her collection bucket to school.

"I had people coming up to me with $20 and $30 each," she says. "And teachers were completely open to it: 'hold up, let me just run to my car and empty out every single cent I can find to give to you'.

"This whole challenge shows the community within schools. It feels like, everywhere I'm going, I see more and more people who care."

For Dance-Fit tickets and information about other fundraisers, or to make a donation, contact portiasutherland2@gmail.com or alexturley3054@gmail.com. Mental Health Foundation: mentalhealth.org.nz