Four Rotorua Zumba instructors are taking their passion for the Latin-inspired workout to great lengths. They're off to the United States in August to attend the international 2010 Zumba Instructors Convention. Gayle Rattigan, Leanne White-Haverkamp, Lisa Kohunui and Ruiha Ruwhiu will fly to Orlando, Florida, to join thousands of other instructors fromaround the globe, in an effort to upskill in what is becoming one of the most popular forms of exercise around. All four are extremely passionate about Zumba and say it's one of the most exciting types of exercise they've done. Mrs Rattigan said the convention was a way of upskilling and gaining certification that wasn't available in Australia or New Zealand. The four-day convention would encompass new teaching methods and dance techniques plus the opportunity to market and expand their network. Mrs Kohunui, originally a salsa instructor, was the first of the group to hear about Zumba. She then got the other women involved and it went from there. Both Mrs Rattigan and Mrs Kohunui have a dance background but say people don't need to know how to dance to do Zumba. Mrs Rattigan said she liked the social aspect of Zumba as well as the fitness benefits. "It promotes friendship and really gets you involved with the Rotorua community." Mrs White-Haverkamp said Zumba was in huge demand in Rotorua and had become so popular there was the opportunity to make it her full-time job. She said she had witnessed amazing results for people in her classes with previous health problems including diabetes, asthma and stroke. "I've had one student who was diabetic and their blood sugar has since returned to normal." As a result of their new passion, the four women have achieved a combined total weight-loss of more than 100 kilograms. They say Zumba is for all ages, fusing hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves to create a one-of-a-kind fitness programme.
