Seven hours, 18 minutes: The joy of finishing IronMāori, from a nanny with 11 mokopuna

Amanda Hita, with her blue nail polish, prepares for her 7-hour journey to the IronMāori finish line in Napier with training partner and good friend Lisa Chittick beside her.

Amanda Hita took a few seconds to savour the moment.

As the 52-year-old from the Hawke’s Bay was joined by three of her mokopuna in the finishing chute of IronMāori, tears streamed down her face.

After seven hours and 18 minutes battling the elements on a challenging day for a triathlon, her third IronMāori event was completed.

“It was an incredible feeling to reach that finish line,” says Hita, who works as a team manager for the organiser of IronMāori, Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga.

“I think this time I was more emotional, because I’d put so much more training into getting a better time. So, when I hit that finish chute with my mokopuna, it all hit me.”

Hita (Ngāti Whatua) is a mother of four adult children who have blessed her with 11 mokopuna, with another on the way. It’s important for her to keep achieving and setting an example for her whānau.

“I love getting the medal at the end because at the end of the day I am collecting them as a legacy for my whānau. For generations to come, they are going to see these medals and awards and know what their nanny did. That’s pretty cool.”

Hita completed the IronMāori Half – with distances of a 2km swim, 90km bike and 21.1km run - 22 minutes faster than last year and was happy to achieve her goal.

“Every time you finish an event like this it is an achievement to be proud of,” she says. “The wind was really brutal, and I had to overcome all the thoughts that go through your head, that you might not make it.”

Hita was not in good shape when she got off her bike. She was so exhausted that she was disorientated.

“I couldn’t organise myself,” she says. “I was lucky to have one of my friends [Christine O’Brien] who has done many Iron Man events help me. I didn’t even know what to put on my feet. She was like ‘your shoes’,” Hita says with a laugh.

“So, my body was almost done. But I picked up in transition and then I was off again.”

Hita is using IronMāori, and IronMāori Tamaki on Saturday, November 16, to get ready for her ultimate goal of completing Iron Man in Taupō on March 1. She has unfinished business in the event after not finishing last year.

Hita wants to be like her Pāpā, Ben Hita, who at 82 is still fit, healthy and independent.

“My Dad is my inspiration and my idol, and I want to be doing these things for many years to come to show that you can keep achieving as you get older,” she says.

She credits her training partner Lisa Chittick for keeping her on track with her training. They have increased their sessions and are completing more than 100km of cycling, they are running four to five times a week and have been swimming twice a week in the pool and once in the ocean.

“Having a training partner is paramount, as it keeps you accountable,” she says.

More than 2500 athletes competed across all of the events at IronMāori on Friday and Saturday.

Throughout the event, sponsor ACC had three rongoā practitioners offering free mirimiri/romiromi services to athletes and their whānau. Hita says it was an invaluable offering.

“That rongoā service is absolutely the best service you can have at the end of any event like this,” she says. “They were there from first thing on Friday morning to late on Saturday afternoon and people were lining up for a treatment. It’s so important, so a huge thank you to ACC for their support.”

ACC deputy chief executive of strategy, engagement and prevention Andy Milne was in Napier.

He said events like IronMāori provide a chance to raise awareness and build understanding around services that improve access and health outcomes for Māori.

ACC has been a partner of IronMāori for the past six years and has been offering Rongoā Māori as a rehabilitation option since June 2020.