Banker RaWiki ishaving success in the boxing ring. PHOTO/ANDREWWARNER
WERE he to meet Ra Wiki, George Bernard Shaw would have to eat his infamous words that youth is wasted on the young.
At 31, the Rotorua-born Ra gives lie to that profundity, and the other-heard whinge hereabouts, that our young people are a lost cause.
If they are it's Ra's mission to help sort themselves out.
He's been spurred to do so by people around him becoming enmeshed in gang life, going down the addiction route, fuelled by booze, P and virtually every other drug going.
Seeing one close to him pull himself out of this mire and go on to assist others ignited a similar passion in Ra. For both, being Destiny Church members has played a key role in their crusades.
A realist, Ra accepts the name Destiny may be greeted with snorts of derision by some but his stance is defensive and it's the media that cops his right hook.
"What people don't realise is the work the church does helping people in a myriad of ways, you people [journalists] don't portray that, most are too busy criticising the bishop [Brian Tamaki]."
Ra hasn't always been a Destiny member. As the great grandson of the first Anglican Maori Bishop of Aotearoa, Frederick Bennett, his early years were spent in the St Faith's congregation where the bishop is entombed by the altar. He's flirted with other denominations but Destiny is where he feels most at home, mentoring and helping facilitate the church's youth-focused programmes, most particularly those aimed at eradicating family violence.
While his gloves are off where that's concerned, they're firmly on in the boxing ring.
A former Western Heights High prefect, house captain and 1st XV captain whose rugby playing days began at the Waikite Club at age 4, he's gaining a solid reputation as a corporate events boxer.
Tipping the scales at cruiser weight, his first bout was in last December's Rotovegas Corporate Fight Night. Before that, he'd never thrown a competitive punch-since then he's frequently squared off in his home town and in Auckland where corporate boxing's become big on the social calendar. A fortnight ago he was back on local canvas for the Rotovegas Christmas With a Punch event.
It was RotoVegas Boxing Gym owner Aaron Warren who introduced Ra to the ring.
"He came into work [the ANZ bank] and asked if I'd like to take part in his fundraiser for the gym's kids' programmes, something I'm really keen on so I said yes immediately."
He continues to train at Rotovegas Gym. Being fast on his feet isn't only due to Ra's rugby days. As a teenager he was into break and hip-hop dancing and played league in Australia
He'd crossed the Tasman with Destiny friends involved in church pastoral work in Queensland.
When Ra returned home permanently it was to Western Heights High and straight into the 1st XV as hooker. Within a year he was captain, also playing in the Bay of Plenty Under 19s. Without any real idea of what he wanted to do when his schooldays were behind him, he applied for the NZ Institute of Sport (NZIS) personal training and event management courses.
Hearing nothing, he took a labouring job.
"I'd been thereamonth when the institute rang, the guy said 'the good news is you're in, the bad news is you start Monday'-that was a Friday. I chucked some singlets, boardies, undies and jandals into dad's car and we were off to Wellington with only $20 in my pocket. . . if they thought they were getting a diamond, they were getting one with very jagged edges."
Course work was accompanied by a choice of two fitness-generating jobs- working on the capital's rubbish trucks or furniture removal. Ra opted to hump couches.
"They say if you can do furniture removal in Wellington you can do it anywhere in the world-all those steps, hills and narrow streets made us super, super fit, it really built up the muscles."
Alongside study and work he played rugby for Poneke Colts, captaining them in his second year, playing in the premier squad and in the Wellington Maori Districts' team. Graduating from his NZIS courses Ra remained with the removal company for three years, trading the physical work for operations manager.
"Then I thought it was time to up-skill myself, did a computer course and began applying for jobs, working for a bank was my vision."
The ANZ took him on in its call centre, increasingly senior positions followed.
When his mother moved to Australia Ra resigned, coming home to be with whanau who'd remained. Banking lured him back, first as assistant manager at the ANZ's Hinemoa St branch, then its Tokoroa manager. He's now a senior personal banker at the Fenton St branch.
These days he plays little rugby but has a new interest-kapa haka.
He was a member of the Ngati Whakaue group that made it into the finals of the Te Arawa regional competition. Recently he's been a "bit-parter" in a Maori Television show, presently under production, and has played a warrior in a short film. With activities that generally engender so much socialising surely this is one Destiny Church member who must enjoy a drink?
"I'm not going to lie to you, I'm no saint, I do have a beer with the boys after a game [rugby] or fight, a glass of wine with my work colleagues, but above all God is a fundamental part of my life."
RA WIKI:
-Born: Rotorua, 1984.
- Education: Selwyn and Te Kao Primaries, Kaitao Intermediate, Albany Creek State School Queensland, Western Heights High, NZ Institute of Sport.
- Family: Father John Wiki (Rotorua); mother Rata Wiki (Sydney), four brothers, "big, big, big extended whanau".
- Iwi affiliations: Te Aupouri (Kaitaia) and Te Arawa.
-Interests: Rugby, boxing (has lost only one bout out of past seven), personal training, Destiny Church working with youth; creative arts, kapa haka.
-On Rotorua: "It has such a strong culture, nowhere else in the world can match our natural resources."
- Personal philosophy: "Do whatever you can with the opportunities presented to you."