Over 200 join fitness challenge

David Massey and some of the Rotorua Group Challenge members show how it is done. Photo / Stephen Parker

What started as a favour has resulted in more than 200 people signing up with the Rotorua Group Challenge to lose weight and get fit.

The 12-week challenge is run by David Massey, who says he wants to "pay it forward" after being given the gift of health and fitness himself.

It started out last year when a friend asked him to train a group of mums who wanted to lose weight and train together.

"I took one session and they kept asking me to come back," he said. "There were eight in that first group challenge in March last year and it's just grown since. When we got to 45 I thought that was huge but we just finished the last one where 161 registered and now 200 have registered for this next round."

All entrants pay $20 to register and the money is pooled together as a prize for the person with the highest weight loss by percentage. That was won last time by Donna Dunkley, who lost 11.8kg in 12 weeks and started running in the process.

"There's no way I could have done this on my own," she said.

"I joined the group to meet like-minded people and lose some weight at the same time. It was about mind over matter; I can do anything now."

She said she wanted to reduce her body fat percentage further as well as some other goals.

Mr Massey, who is by day a custody officer at the Rotorua Custody Centre, said he was helped a great deal in his journey to health and fitness. "People helped me to stop smoking and start running, so I'm paying it forward," he said.

Registration for this challenge is now closed but Mr Massey said interested people can follow his Facebook page at BHB Fitness.