Waipawa kids take on virtual adventure and come out real-life winners

Waipawa School Room 4 students show off their new footwear courtesy of Zespri. Photo / Supplied

Over the past few weeks 22,000 Kiwi kids, including 845 from 32 school classes across Hawke’s Bay joined forces with celebrity heroes Ardie Savea, Ameliaranne Ekenasio, Kane Williamson and Samantha Charlton for the 2022 Zespri Young and Healthy Virtual Adventure.

The health and wellbeing programme took Kiwi tamariki on a virtual trip around the globe, instilling healthy habits along the way like moving their bodies, eating extra fruit and vegetables, drinking more water, getting a good night’s sleep and reducing leisure time spent on screens.

New shoes all round!

Classes taking part in the Virtual Adventure worked as a team to travel across the world. Along the way were met by their sporting heroes and Asics ambassadors who showed them around and shared interesting facts about local history and geography, as well as pro health and wellbeing tips.

Several classes at Waipawa School joined the Young and Healthy Virtual Adventure.

Classes were sent a pedometer to track their daily steps and record their healthy habits. In the run-up to the event, organisers challenged classes to make a video to “Show Us Your Moves”.

Waipawa School’s Room 4 children were surprised this month when organisers and sponsors of the contest arrived at the school to announce that they were winners.

Room 4 Waipawa School show off their moves.

Each child was presented with a new pair of running shoes, thanks to sponsor Asics. Key sponsor Zespri handed out prizes as well as gold kiwifruit for the children to sample.

With the Zespri Young and Healthy Virtual Adventure being all about activity and healthy habits, Kim Harvey, founder of the Young and Healthy Charitable Trust and Virtual Adventure, said: “We surprised this joyful, energetic group of Year 3 and 4 tamariki with new Asics shoes after they submitted a video in the competition. They put their shoes through some paces and taught us some moves too.

“We’ve now had more than 120,000 kids through the programme and each year we see incredible results with teachers, parents and the kids telling us they have more energy, can focus better in class and feel better, which is all the more important as we head to the busy end-of-year sprint.”

“Participation in the Virtual Adventure is free thanks to the support of partners like Zespri and Asics, with The Young and Healthy Trust ensuring teachers in participating schools have the resources and support they need to encourage kids to succeed.”