Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua locals take icy plunge in support of Heart Kids

Rotorua Daily Post
17 Sep, 2017 04:20 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Locals came out dressed as superheroes, ladybugs, soldiers and pirates to take the icy plunge on Saturday.

The annual Heart Stopper Challenge, run by Heart Kids Rotorua, was held at the Rotorua Aquatic Centre for people to raise money and show support for children who suffer from heart disease.

Team Heart Beetles. Photo/Supplied
Team Heart Beetles. Photo/Supplied

Seven teams, each with about four to six members, jumped into a pool of 10C water for six minutes.

This was to mimic what it feels like for a child to have icy water flushed through their chest during heart surgery.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Heart Kids Rotorua chairwoman Allyn Boyd said there was a successful turnout at the event.

Team Leo (Leonardo's Pure Italian Restaurant)  Photo/Supplied
Team Leo (Leonardo's Pure Italian Restaurant) Photo/Supplied

"All the participants turned up and there were lots of spectators so it went really well."

Ms Boyd and her family support worker, who weren't intending to take the plunge, raised an extra $200 to join in and put their heads under the water.

"It was absolutely freezing and the wind didn't make it any warmer either," Ms Boyd said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Rotorua's Labour candidate, Ben Sandford, made it to the challenge, where he and his team took the plunge as well.

Team Shiver Me Timbers raising awareness for Heart Kids Rotorua. Photo/supplied
Team Shiver Me Timbers raising awareness for Heart Kids Rotorua. Photo/supplied

Local Jacinda Higgins, whose daughter has gone through heart surgery, said it was a special moment.

"Me and my younger brother dressed up as soldiers as our team name was 'Emma's Army'.

"I got a bit emotional once I hopped in the freezing water because it's hard to imagine that Emma has had to go through this," she said.

This is the first year Ms Higgins has participated in the Heart Stopper Challenge and she plans to take part every year.

Team Te Wiroa
Team Te Wiroa

"It felt really good to show support and give back to Heart Kids and show appreciation for everything they do."

Heart Kids Rotorua has raised more than $3000 in online donations from the challenge so far, which will be open until the end of the month.

For information on how to donate, go to heartstopper.org.nz/event/hscrotorua17.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Popular Waikato walkway fully reopens after major upgrade

02 Jul 05:00 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Wet, wet, wet: Rain warning for BoP as more tropical weather looms

01 Jul 11:38 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Road reopens after person hit by truck

01 Jul 11:24 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Popular Waikato walkway fully reopens after major upgrade

Popular Waikato walkway fully reopens after major upgrade

02 Jul 05:00 AM

The reopening comes seven months behind the original schedule.

Wet, wet, wet: Rain warning for BoP as more tropical weather looms

Wet, wet, wet: Rain warning for BoP as more tropical weather looms

01 Jul 11:38 PM
Road reopens after person hit by truck

Road reopens after person hit by truck

01 Jul 11:24 PM
Why an outspoken leader is resigning and returning to Rotorua

Why an outspoken leader is resigning and returning to Rotorua

01 Jul 10:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP