Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
See below for English translation
Kia tu pakari ai ngai tātou wahine mā. Kia tu kaha ai tātou wāhine mā, e whakahīhī ai ngā wāhine Māori, koia rā te whakahihikotanga e whakapau kaha ai a Shirley Day i āna whakataetae pakeke.
E ono tekau mā tahi te rahi o tēnei wahine angatira. Nō Ngāti Te Roro o Te Rangi ia. Koia tētehi o ngā rangatira i hipa i te rarangi whakataetae mō te whakataetae VinFast Ironman whakataetae o te ao i tū i Kailua-Kona ki tō tātou whenua oroko ki Hawai’i i te wiki ko hori, wheoi anō i mōhio rānei kotou i noho motuhake tēnei wāhanga whakataetae ki ngā wāhine anake. Kāore i whakaaengia ngā tāne.
Kāti, nā tēnei wikitoriatanga āna pea e whakaohooho ai te hiakai o tātou te tangata e mātau ai hoki te hinekapo ko te kaha o te tangata kai tona wairua, ko te pakeketanga o te tangata he nama noa iho.
Nō te Hanuere o tēnei tau timata ai tana whakangungu mō te whakataetae, he ahakoa tēnā i whakaarongia e ia tēnei kaupapa i ngā tau kotahi ngāhuru noa kua hipa atu.
‘E ware kē ana ahau ki taku whakapakaritanga mō te whakataetae Kona i ngā tau kotahi ngāhuru kua hori. Nō te Hanuere timata ai taku whakangungu nōku i whai tūnga kia uru ai ki te kaupapa Ironman, i tuawhangia ahau he ahakoa he pahi pakeke i puta taku ihu.
‘Nō te Tihema o te tau tawhito tēnei whakataetae. Kātahi au kia oti te whakataetae Toa IronMāori i taua wiki tonu, wheoi anō he kauru rākau tiketike hoki tēnā i hinga i a hau.
‘Ko te whakawhitinga atu o ngā waewae ki tērā taha o te raina whakamutunga he ahakoa ko tēwhea kaupapa IronMan, he mahi nui. E tere ana ngā kare-ā-roto, kua pirorehe te tinana, e āuē ana hoki te tinana engari e koa ana te whatumanawa.
‘Engari ko tēnei whakataetae tonu, ko te whakakaotanga o ngā wāhine toa o te ao kia huia ai ki te kaupapa kotahi ki reira tātou whakataetae ai, e whakahihiko ai taku tūara nōku e whakawhiti atu ki te taha whakanā o te raina.
‘I puta mai ōku hoa tata me taku hoa rangatira ki te kauawhiawhi i ahau me te rarahi hoki o ngā hoa Kiwi nō Hawaiki Tahutahu e whakataetae hoki ana, he mea nui ki ahau’, hai tā Shirley.
He toa pakeke e kaha kitea ana i te ngāhere e oma ana, e kaha kitea ana i ngā wai o Rotorua e kaukau ana rānei e pahikara ana i ngā tini rori o te tāone, me te mea e āhua tūmeke ana i tana kuhunga ki te whakataetae.
‘Nōku e itiiti ai he tauhou ahau ki te ao hākinakina, engari nōku e haere tu ana kua tūponohia e ahau he tangata kaha, he tangata ngakau whiwhita me tā rātau akiaki i a hau kia hau atu ki ngā wero hou, nā wai rā ka pakeketia ōku waewae ki te huarahi haere, mea rawa ake, kua waia kē te tinana me ngā whakaaro, ko te mea nui hoki e whakaae ana taku whatumanawa, hai tāku ki ngā hoa, ' I taka ware noa ahau ki te pahi hē', ka huri oku waewae ki Lake City Athletic Club, nā pūehu kau ana te haere’.
Nō te tau e rua mano,kotahi ngāhuru mā toru ka uru atu ai a Shirley ki wēnei momo whakataetae.
He iti ki mua, he nui ki muri, ko ngā mea pakupaku hai timatatanga māna, nā wai ka kaha ake te wairua. Nō te tau e rua mano,kotahi ngāhuru mā wha nōna e rima tekau mā tahi ka uru atu ai ia ki tana whakataetae oma roa e kīa nā ko te whakataetae Ironman Aotearoa.
Nā tōna ngakau whiwhita ki tēnei kaupapa kua pā ōna waewae ki ngā whenua huhua. Ko Copenhagen, ko Mehiko me Tiamana otīā ngā tāone rahi o Hawaiki Tahutahu hoki.
‘Anei nā ahau e hoki haere ana ki te mura o te ahi, pai ki ahau ngā tangata me te wairua o te whakataetae he whakapakaritanga ā wairua, ā hinengaro hoki tēnei tūmomo whakataetae, engari ko ōku hoa hou he ngerongero tonu, kai te whenua o Switzerland me Austria ētehi he kanohi kitea katoa ēnei’. Hai tāna.
He ahakoa ngā hua o tana kuhutanga ki te ao whakataetae kai te kitea rawatia e ia ngā painga o tēnei huarahi.
‘Ko te mahi nui, kia tae kē te tangata ki te raina timatatanga, he ahakoa he kaupapa Ironman he ahakoa, he ahakoa. Ko ngā piki me ngā heke katoa ka pau i te wā e tū ana koe ki taua wāhi. Nā reira e māmā ake ai te kuhu ki ngā tini āhuatanga o te ao nei. Ka pūare noa ngā kanohi me te wairua ki ngā iwi huhua me ngā tangata whakaaro rite nei ki a koe.
‘Me noho koe ki te whakatakoto rautaki, ko te haeretanga o te rangi, ko te mahi, ko te taima he aha hoki pea ētehi wāhanga o tō ao me whakarere i a koe. Ko te noho me ngā hoa, ka whakahuri hoki taua taima. Kia moata te moe, e wairua maranga tahi ai koe me te rā, e whakangungu ana koe kia rua taima o te rangi, engari e warea na koe ki te whakapakari i a koe, ka mātau anō te hinekapo, kai te waia haere te tinana, kai te kaha ake te wairua i ngā tini whakapātaritari’.
Kauaka ko te whakataetae anake te mea nui ki a ia engari ko te mana o āna kaupapa e puare ai a ia ki ngā momo ataahuatanga o te ao nei, ko te uru atu ki te mura o te ahi me te whakahuri i ōna ake rohenga.
' Ko te whakapakaritanga o te tinana ka whia kē āna hua pai.Kia whakatōkia e ahau te kakano māia, te kakano hiakai ki te puku o tetehi, kua mana katoa aku hekenga werawera’.
Kia tikina e ahau ngā kupu kōrero a Richard Branson, ' Ka tae ki a koe he wero nui e paku āmaimai te wairua, hāpaitia te rākau, rapua te tikanga ā muri ake’.
Being a positive role model for wāhine Māori, her whānau and community is what motivates Shirley Day to push her body to its limits.
At 61, Shirley (Ngāti Te Roro o te Rangi) crossed the finish line at the prestigious VinFast Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i, last weekend in its first women-only event.
Her achievement is a testament that age is just a number and that with dedication any challenge can become a rewarding adventure.
Shirley says while she began her dedicated training for this event in January, her journey started a decade ago.
“I’ve unknowingly been training for Kona for the last 10 years. However, I started training in earnest in January this year when I qualified at the Ironman roll-down event, having placed fourth in my age group in December.
“I had just completed the inaugural IronMāori Toa six days earlier, which in itself was a huge personal achievement.
“Crossing the finish line at any Ironman event is always a huge sense of personal satisfaction, relief, and euphoria. Being in the world championship showcasing the world’s best wāhine triathletes made this finish even more special.
“Having four of my friends and husband there to tautoko me and other Kiwis who were racing was so special too,” says Shirley.
While Shirley is a familiar presence jogging through the Whakarewarewa Forest, swimming at Lake Tikitapu, or cycling the outskirts of Rotorua, her entry into the world of endurance sports was unexpected.
“I’ve never been a natural athlete or sporty person. But along my life pathways, I’ve met people who’ve encouraged, motivated, and inspired me to try new things. It came as much as a surprise to me as everyone else when I found something I could do – and do with a passion.
“I always say I fell in ‘with the wrong crowd’. A new friend introduced me to running with Lake City Athletic Club and it just grew from there,” she says.
Starting with small triathlons and building her confidence over time, Shirley took on the IronMāori in 2013.
This venture led to her first full-distance Ironman New Zealand in 2014, all while in her 51st year. This passion for endurance has taken her to various international locations, including Copenhagen, Mexico, and Germany, as well as a number of ultramarathons and adventure races around Aotearoa.
“Somehow, I’ve kept going back for more. I love the vibe of pushing myself physically and mentally. Eventing leads you to new adventures and friendships as you meet people from all over the rohe.
“I also have good friends now in Switzerland and Austria who I’ve met through different events, and I’ve seen so much of Aotearoa and overseas as a result.”
On the profound impact of this journey, Shirley observes how endurance sports changed her life both mentally and physically.
“Being able to participate and get to the start line for any endurance event let alone an Ironman requires huge commitment, focus and self-belief.
“It gives you the confidence to pursue things you never thought possible, and you suddenly gain a whole new community of like-minded people.
“You do need to learn how to prioritise your time and be prepared to make sacrifices.
“Your social life changes too. Early to bed and early to rise soon becomes normal as you fit in training twice daily. However, along the way to building physical strength and stamina, you’ll soon realise you have developed a huge tool kit of resilience and problem-solving skills,” she says.
Grateful for the unwavering support she’s received, Shirley’s story is not just about finishing races but about starting new chapters in life, embracing challenges, and redefining one’s boundaries.
“Being fit and strong has benefits for the entire whānau as you make lifestyle changes to improve your health and fitness.
“If I can inspire one other person to take up something to make positive changes to their health and lifestyle, then that makes it worthwhile,” she says.
Echoing Richard Branson’s words, she advises, “If someone offers you an amazing opportunity and you’re not sure you can do it, say yes - then learn how to do it later.”
A Rotorua downhill rider clocks the fastest speed of the round-six final for an 8th place.