Reporter excited to participate in Harcourts Dancing with the Stars

Rotorua Weekender and Rotorua Daily Post reporter Shauni James will be participating in the 2017 Harcourts Dancing with the Stars. Photo/Supplied

I am both extremely excited and nervous about participating in this year's Harcourts Dancing with the Stars.

When my fellow (now former) colleague Kyra Dawson, who was one of the dancers last year, asked me if I would take up the challenge for the 2017 event it did not take me long to answer with a yes.

My grandmother passed away in 2011 from cancer and Te Omanga Hospice in Lower Hutt was a big help in those last few months.

I remember going to visit her there often after school and she was very well cared for.

The Hospice organisations do such amazing work caring for patients and their families, and we are very lucky to have an organisation like this available in Rotorua.

I am looking forward to meeting all the other dancers, and I am sure we will have a heap of fun practising and trying to get our feet to do what they are supposed to!

The atmosphere at last year's event was incredible and there was so much community support behind it which was great to see, and I am sure it will receive just as much support this year too.

Rotorua is such a generous community and I think it is great so many people are happy to put up their hands and voluntarily put themselves out there for such a worthwhile cause.

It will certainly be an interesting journey and I am looking forward to it.