New fitness gang to fight obesity

WHANAU: Patu Paraparaumu trainer Yolonda Slobbe with her daughter Charlee Slobbe, 10 months, at the Shed Project Kapiti gym.

A movement aimed at turning New Zealand's gang culture on its head has found its way to Kapiti.

Patu Aotearoa, a fitness initiative formed to engage with families across the country, is helping to decrease inactivity rates in New Zealand, as well as to steer Maori and Pacific Islanders towards a positive sense of community.

With 300 members in Napier and Hastings, where it was first launched, Patu can now be found in 13 sites between the top of the North Island and down to Christchurch, including Kapiti.

Thanks to Waikanae local and first-time mother Yolonda Slobbe, Patu Paraparaumu was introduced on April 1 this year.

With 16 members engaging in high intensity, moderate to low-impact fitness, Yolonda is encouraging other locals, particularly Maori and Pacific Islanders, to join the family-focused CrossFit group.

"Patu is something that my cousin's husband Levi Armstrong started around five years ago," said Yolonda, who trained in CrossFit for five years in Melbourne before resettling in Kapiti late last year.

"He comes from a family with gang affiliations and, after doing a sports and recreation course, he decided he didn't want the gang thing for his kids.

"He wanted to start a positive gang, where his kids have positive role models, while still having that same family feel people can get from gangs."

With growing success, including sponsorship from the Ministry of Social Development, Patu Aotearoa is a popular safety net for a range of members ranging in all shapes and sizes, ages and fitness levels.

According to Yolonda, the name patu stemmed from a need to fight "the new enemy" of Maori and Pacific Islanders - obesity.

"Back in the day our tupuna used to fight the enemy with their patu, but that was each other.

"Now, the new enemy is obesity and diabetes and what better way to do that than through fitness."

She said The Shed Project Kapiti founder Denise Wood had been great in supporting the initiative, which runs from the organisation's gym on Tongariro St.

Like Denise, Yolonda was putting in the hard yards with a main purpose of helping others in the community.

"I started Patu Paraparaumu because as a mother, I wanted something for my daughter she could be proud of.

"For some people it's scary going back to the gym and they're a bit shy, and they don't know how to get in to being healthy.

"All they know is easy food and no exercise, so it's been really cool."

With members ranging from seven to 65, Patu Paraparaumu is child-friendly, with children free, and adults $10 per week for unlimited sessions.

With 10 sessions a week between 6am and 7.30pm, from Monday to Saturday, the sessions last 40 to 60 minutes.

With a 10-week boot camp having started over the weekend, participants can earn a Patu t-shirt, or as Yolonda said, their 'patch', if they attend the group twice a week over the course.

"I'm hoping that'll encourage people to get in to the habit of going to the gym, and feeling better through fitness."

One of her heaviest members, who initially weighed around 200kg when he joined, lost 27kgs over the first six weeks.

"It's been awesome watching the change in my members, who I work with to determine their goals and even just find out how they're doing each week.

"We're not just a gym. We're about supporting each other in all sorts of ways."