Trevina Korohina-Ormsby is one of Flavazum's success stories.
Flavazum Health and Fitness were Supreme Award winners at the Spirit of Rotorua Awards. Reporter Alison King reveals the impact the community group has had on the people of Rotorua and what makes it a worthy winner of the award.
Trevina Korohina-Ormsby was inspired to enter the Rotorua marathon after reading about Flavazum heavyweight Antz Ngawhika. He had already shed 57kg by joining Flavazum and getting active. He had a further weight-loss goal and was in Flavazum's 50/50 Whanau to get around the 50th Rotorua Marathon.
"It was motivation for me to do something positive and get into some exercise," she said.
"I had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and had chronic asthma. I weighed 112kg and needed to do something about it, so I joined up with them in September. I've since lost 13kg and I don't need to use my inhaler any more."
She said the group was "amazing".
"I've made great friendships and I know I will be able to live longer for my kids. The virtue of walking is the simplicity of it - by putting one foot in front of the other. You don't have to be a fantastic athlete, it's just simple."
Being part of Flavazum has opened other doors for her. As well as walking with the 50/50 Whanau group, she now goes to aqua aerobics and goes for bike rides.
"They're a really good group of people and they really encourage you - we start together and we finish together."
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Last year, Te Waiora Stewart-Reid could barely swim 50m, now she is turning into a fish, with aspirations of completing a triathlon. The 11-year-old was diagnosed with a medical condition last year which meant she could only swim for exercise until her bone growth caught up with her muscles.
With the help of Flavazum she got started with United Aquatic Sports and has increased her swimming repertoire to three strokes and tumble turns. Her joints have recovered and in December she completed her first IronMaori tamariki aquathon.
"When I started I could only swim 50m, now I do 500m. Doing the aquathon was something I thought would be achievable. I now want to do a triathlon. The main aim was to finish but I found it inspiring."
It's not just Te Waiora who is active in her family - her brother Hikairo, 15, completed the quarter IronMaori event and her mum Haley Stewart is part of the 50/50 Whanau.
"I'm doing it for my family," Haley says.
"If I don't do it why should they? It's about leading by example and balancing all that hard stuff with something fun. Flavazum has had a huge impact on us. They'll accept you in whatever condition you're in. If you can swim, great, if not they'll find out how to get you there."
She said they were also taking part in Flavazum's 100km for the holidays, which meant all the family were being active together.
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Flavazum Health and Fitness was set up by Erin Thompson-Pou, Nataria Rolleston and Leanne Haverkamp-White after they started Zumba classes in 2009. Flavazum was born in 2011 after a performance at Mardi Gras.
That same year they trained a group of youngsters to take part in children's division of the IronMaori, a half and quarter ironman event held annually in Napier.
The group stayed on to watch the adults' section and were inspired. Since then Flavazum has trained hundreds of Rotorua people of all ages, sizes and fitness levels, to get to the start and finish line.
"We never thought we would have had this much of an impact," says Erin.
"When we started we wanted to help people change their lives. We never thought it would grow beyond our Zumba classes. We didn't realise where our movement would shift to - to the likes of IronMaori. Every day my husband and I marvel about what all the whanau who have been involved have achieved.
"There's been such exponential growth, we're fuelling them with confidence and knowledge to pass on and that's what has blown me away."
She said one of their big focuses was on getting the 50/50 Whanau around the marathon.
Future challenges would be instigated by whanau, she said.
As well as the Spirit of Rotorua Supreme Award, Flavazum has also won the Te Arawa whanau of 2012 award for community service to Te Arawa through the Te Papa Takaaro o Te Arawa awards and the IronMaori Tamariki trophy for attending all IronMaori events since 2011.
Flavazum's latest initiative is its 100km for the holidays, which started on December 30 and runs throughout January. The goal is for whanau to complete swimming, cycling, golfing, paddling, kayaking, running and walking activities to the total tally of 100km.
Each team must be between four and six people with a minimum of two children.
There are 40 families registered and as well as being part of the Flavazum family in Rotorua there are families in Taranaki, Wellington and Utah, USA.
"The reach is greater than we anticipated and its goal of activating whanau has been surpassed," said Leanne.
If you are interested in joining Flavazum, call Leanne Haverkamp-White on (027) 5253 826. They will be holding a series of new member hui throughout February.