'Quite easy to be honest': Hastings fitness coach completes 24-hour 'shootathon'

Rich "Rush" Hira shot hoops for 24 hours in Hastings for a good cause. Photo / Warren Buckland

A Hastings fitness coach has completed a 24-hour "shootathon" for mental health awareness, with community members cheering him on through the middle of the night.

Beginning on Friday evening and ending on Saturday evening, Rich "Rush" Hira, 27, shot hoops for 24 hours straight at the basketball court in Camberley's Kirkpatrick Park.

He raised over $3000 in the process which will go toward a mental health awareness drive in January, visiting gyms between Hastings and Auckland.

He said he was "overwhelmed" with the support he received during the shootathon, which was also aimed at showing people they can overcome mental challenges.

"It was about overcoming, and I told the whānau, take a look around at the last 24 hours and how much support there was for each other - that is the same support that we should be showing to our friends and family who are going through their mental health [struggles]."

He estimated about 250 people came down to support the cause over the weekend or to join in and shoot some hoops.

Supporters at the shootathon after it finished on Saturday evening. Photo / Supplied

Hira said he battled through swollen ankles and feet, and it was difficult to open and shut his hand after hours of shooting basketballs.

He guessed he would have attempted more than 5000 shots.

"I missed the first shot and missed the last one," he said, with a laugh.

He said people, including members of his free Rushfit classes, even stayed down at the courts through the middle of the night, which was amazing to see and kept his morale up.

"Mentally, [the shootathon] was quite easy to be honest, but in the physical sense, the body started playing up with aches and strains."

The shootathon was held at the same park where Hira runs free fitness classes for people in the neighbourhood, known as Rushfit.

Hira, who is studying to become a qualified personal trainer, started those fitness classes about a year ago, which were initially aimed at giving young people in the Camberley neighbourhood something positive to get involved in.