It sounds like every teenager's nightmare - having to get up in the pre-dawn hours to be barked at by instructors during an hour of gruelling military-style physical training.
But, perhaps surprisingly, twice as many students applied to join the hard-as-nails CACTUS programme at Taupo-nui-a-Tia College than there were places for.
The Taupo Police's Tauhara-Paetiki Neighbourhood Policing Team is running Combined Adolescent Challenge Training Unit and Support (CACTUS), a programme of physical training developed from the Armed Forces, at the college over eight weeks.
The students on the programme meet every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning for a 6am start. They train hard for an hour then have a shower and a cooked breakfast before school begins.
CACTUS, which is new to Taupo but has already run successfully in Rotorua, builds students' physical and mental conditioning as well as leadership, team building and personal responsibility. In all, 54 students at the college applied for the CACTUS programme, from which the school selected 25.
The programme is costing around $17,000 to run and the costs are being met with sponsorship from Youthtown Taupo and support from Bluelight Taupo. Five members of the Neighbourhood Policing Team are involved.
On the day the Taupo Weekender visited, the session was being run by Tim Moore of Body Worx Fitness and Health but normally Constable Rob Foster is the instructor. Mr Moore also gave the students a talk about his background and some pointers on nutrition afterwards.
Sergeant Shane McNally of the Tauhara Paetiki Neighbourhood Policing Team says that along with the physical fitness, the students form a team during the programme.
``They've all come from different places in the school. There's a lot of these kids that would never associate with one another, so the idea is to break them down as a unit and build them back up as a team, building friendships.''
Mr McNally says although the programme has only been running for three weeks, parents are already noticing the benefits.
``One in particular said his child's schooling has improved. He's stimulated after CACTUS, because his mind is stimulated and he's ready for learning.''
Mr McNally says the students come from a mixture of backgrounds, abilities and strengths, but they all stand to gain something from the programme.
However, it's tough. No-shows are not tolerated and discipline is tight.
``This is running very much military-style so if you do something wrong, you'll get press-ups.''
Each student received socks, shoes, shorts and a training top. After each session, their training gear is laundered at the school's Bay Trust Centre by staff member Fiona Primrose and returned to them ready for the next session.
Mr McNally says ultimately CACTUS is about finding good pathways for youths.
``We do have some youth issues in Taupo so if we can influence students in this group to follow the right path, then we've been successful.''
Taegan Fogarty-Wallis, 15, wanted to motivate herself and get physically fit. Despite the rigours of the physical training, she likes the programme and doesn't mind the early starts.
``I find it hard but I try and push myself.''
She said that the group members were becoming closer to one another and everyone encouraged each other to keep at it.
Tovia Tufala, 16, says the programme is ``hard as'' but he signed up because he wanted to become fitter and also felt he lacked the mental strength to push hard towards his goals. ``It teaches your brain just to keep pushing yourself instead of constant stopping.''
He says he sometimes feels tired at school after training but doesn't want to use that as an excuse.
``We take it on the chin.''
Taupo-nui-a-Tia College deputy principal Brenda Ronke says the students have told her that they're loving the programme, are more alert and feel that their schoolwork has also improved. So has their behaviour.
``Not one of the students on the CACTUS programme have caused any problems whatsoever in the last two weeks, so I think it's going to be a win-win all round.
``One boy said to me `I've always struggled to get out of bed in the morning but I feel so much more alive and once I've finished this I'm going to make sure I keep getting up and going'.''
She says CACTUS is a true partnership between the college, the police and the students' parents, who are supporting their children by taking turns going in to prepare the breakfasts.
