Ian Jones, Mike King, Rick Wells and Richie Barnett along with other high profile Kiwis will swim/bike/run the length of the North Island to raise awareness about the struggles young people face accessing counselling.
Ian Jones, Mike King, Rick Wells and Richie Barnett along with other high profile Kiwis will swim/bike/run the length of the North Island to raise awareness about the struggles young people face accessing counselling.
After a delay due to Cyclone Gabrielle, a charity triathlon featuring a lineup of former elite New Zealand athletes and other high-profile Kiwis will officially kick off in Te Rerenga Wairua/Cape Reinga today.
The 16-day relay Due Drop Hope Challenge, initially scheduled for February, is aiming to raise awareness about mental health initiative Gumboot Friday and the barriers young people face accessing counselling.
Participants include All Blacks great “Kamo Kid” Ian Jones, MNZM; triathlon world champion Rick Wells, MBE; and NRL star Richie Barnett, plus I am Hope and Gumboot Friday founder Mike King, among others.
Together the group will run, swim and cycle from Cape Reinga to the Beehive in Wellington.
The Due Drop Hope Challenge participants at Te Rerenga Wairua/Cape Reinga where they will commence their epic 16-day relay event.
King said despite the delay, Cyclone Gabrielle had kept his charities busy establishing the I Am Hope Wellness Centre in Hawke’s Bay and an ongoing flood-relief fundraiser in response to the devastation.
“Everyone was so disappointed when our plans were delayed, especially after the mammoth logistical effort and many sleepless nights that went into planning and organising everything,” King said.
“But there’s no point in sitting around moping.
“We got ourselves to the East Coast and went straight to work, talking to the community about their needs and setting up the wellness centre to get families the help they urgently needed.”
Meanwhile, King said the team had been consistently training and was pumped and ready to go.
“We can’t wait to meet with the communities along the way and let them know, help is available, help is here and we want your kids to use it. That’s what this is all about.”
Ex-All Black Hall of Famer Ian Jones said while the team had been delayed, it hadn’t distracted them from the job at hand.
He said the past few years had been tough for a lot of people and this was his way of supporting others.
“I’m passionate about Kiwis helping Kiwis and being able to look after everyone in this country and the philosophy that New Zealand kids are our kids,” Jones said.
Former All Black Ian Jones aka the "Kamo kid".
“It can be a real dampener on the spirits when you have a big challenge or exciting event coming up, but unforeseen circumstances disrupt your plans.
“But what a great metaphor for life. The team stayed positive and continued training in preparation for the mammoth task, and we look forward to raising awareness of Gumboot Friday.”
Disabled Afghani polio survivor Karim Rostami knows only too well how tough life can be.
Not only was he once told he’d never walk again, but was forced to flee Afghanistan at just eight years old thanks to the Taliban.
Rostami arrived in Aotearoa as an 18-year-old asylum seeker with no family, no money and no English.
He now runs a popular cafe just 5km out of Auckland and has undertaken a number of fitness fundraisers, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities including Surf Life Saving NZ, Westpac Helicopter and Hato Hone-St John Ambulance.
Karim Rostami is a survivor of the polio virus, which left him with no muscle control in his hips and legs and doctors predicting he'd never walk again.
Rostami said New Zealand had given him everything, so it was only right to give back.
“This country gave me the opportunity to find a job and to have a home,” he said.
“Every year or two I like to do these things as a token of my appreciation and as a thank you for giving me a second chance at life.
“Our vision with this challenge is to start getting people to talk and to tell them to never lose hope.
“Life is not always going to be easy, but we have to be strong, keep going and help others along the way.”
Subject to the weather, today’s challenge participants will travel 135.57km from Te Rerenga Wairua/Cape Reinga to Mangonui FourSquare, passing through various townships on their journey south.
The team is expected to arrive in Mangonui at 4pm, where the public is invited to a community event.
This will be followed by another gathering at the Mangonui Hotel at 6.30pm.
King said meeting the local people was just as important as the fitness challenge.
“Our rural communities, particularly in Northland and the East Coast, have the lowest uptake of Gumboot Friday,” King said.
“That’s because the whānau in these areas don’t realise we have counsellors or don’t think the service is available to them.
“This way we can connect and let them know we have over 100 counsellors available either face to face, over the phone on Facetime via Zoom.
“The beautiful thing is it’s all free and paid for by people who care about our rangatahi having a better life.”
The Due Drop Hope Challenge will wrap up with a hīkoi/walk to Parliament led by King, who will convey the group’s concerns to the Government about the need to improve youth mental health in New Zealand.
