Cerena stepping it up for TripSwitch

KEEN: Cerena Tahu has signed up for the next TripSwitch campaign and hopes it will help her on her weight-loss journey. PHOTO/GLENN TAYLOR HBT140691-02

Cerena Tahu is well prepared for this year's TripSwitch campaign and believes it will be a good incentive to help her with her goal of losing 80kg.

Following on from the success of last year's TripSwitch campaign in October, in which participants were encouraged to ditch their vehicle in favour of walking or cycling, the event will return on Monday.

Her decision to sign up was another step on the fitness and health "journey" she embarked on in August last year, she said.

"It was to improve my health issues. I have to lose weight and at Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga, here, we have reps for TripSwitch and they came around to talk to us about signing up. It gave me another incentive for my own personal journey.

"It is all done on trust and you don't actually have people watching you. My fitness journey that I'm on, I actually don't have a partner that I do it with, I do it on my own. When you have something like TripSwitch, you have an incentive.

"I don't like pressure, I don't like people watching me because of my size."

Since last August she has lost 12kg, with a goal of losing 80kg, although she has not weighed herself for a month. She walks and swims in the mornings before work and takes part in water aerobics twice a week after work.

For TripSwitch she plans to increase her weekend walking, and park her car a kilometre from work and walk the remaining distance each day.

"I actually hope to be doing some walking and I've been challenging myself to leave my car a block away from work and do that walk. It is something I've never done before, I usually drive up to the door and park at the door!"

Hastings deputy mayor Cynthia Bowers said the success of last year's TripSwitch campaign was one of the reasons it was being repeated.

"It went incredibly well. I think that is why it is being repeated again," she said. "That is a reason we're bringing it back - it is a good thing about this whole iWays and cycling initiative that we've got going in council - people are coming on board with it really well.

"The whole purpose of it is to encourage people to make a change of habit, I suppose, in terms of transport. So it is about getting people out of their cars and on to a bike or to walk. Basically, it is about leaving the car at home.

"The thinking behind it is people making changes for the days TripSwitch is running, which will hopefully be the start of them forming a habit."

TripSwitch runs for seven days from Monday, and there are hundreds of prizes to be won, including an iPhone, 7 Jupiter Cruiser bikes and iWay gift packs. Those who recommend five friends who sign up to TripSwitch in February will pick up an instant prize. Those interested can enter at www.tripswitch.co.nz