Small town girl spreads her wings

After 18 years of living in Murupara, Hera Bennett is ready to spread her wings and take on a new career in the army.
The former Rangitahi College student has never left the district before. She said the motivation for her big move came from the team at Ultimate P4mance who inspired her to live her dream.
The Ultimate P4mance team has been in and out of a number of the district's schools over the past two years teaching students life skills, dedication, determination and discipline through boxing training and motivational courses.
It is the second year the Rotorua-based group has held courses at Murupara's Rangitahi College.
Miss Bennett said that before she did the course, she had no interest in joining the army or starting a career.
"I would probably have had a pretty boring life, raising kids, I think."
With little chance of finding a job, let alone a career in the small forestry town, she had to set her sights on something outside her comfort zone.
"But I do want to bring my skills back home one day to help my iwi and hapu. I think the army offers a lot, it's a real career and I will learn a lot.
"I'd love to travel overseas and I'm very much looking forward to it. It's going to be hard but I know I'll do well," she said.
So at the end of March she will pack her bags and head to Burnham Military Camp in Christchurch where she will spend six weeks' training before moving to Waiouru Army Camp in the central North Island.
Ultimate P4mance coach Lee Edmonds said Miss Bennett already had the skills to join the army or look for a career, she just needed to be reminded.
"Hera and her sisters were raised well with good principles at home, we just reinforced those principles for her later.
"One of our philosophies is 'the only way is up'.
"If we can help one student then we have made a difference for future generations."
Mr Edmonds said the group was initially told working in Murupara would be a waste of time and there was no hope for the people living there. Miss Bennett was an example of just how wrong those people were.
"That just gave us more motivation to come out here and help," Mr Edmonds said.
Miss Bennett has already inspired another two female students from the school to look seriously at a career in the armed forces.
She hopes her example will show anyone from a small town that if they dream big, they can achieve their dreams.