Parua Bay School students visit Hits Northland radio studio

Parua Bay School students visit the Hits Northland studio and host Charmaine Soljak as reward for taking part in the Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon. Photo / Tania Whyte

If at first you don't succeed, try, try and try again.

And a group of Parua Bay School pupils have been rewarded for their efforts in the Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon (SWKT) with a visit to the Hits Northland studio and some air time with host Charmaine Soljak.

The pupils were among hundreds from around Northland who took part in the Bay of Islands KidsTRY on April 11 and one of the prizes they won was a trip to the radio studio, which they did last week.

Parent Kirsty Phillips, who helped organise the pupils' trip to Paihia for the TRYathlon, said the children - aged 7 to 11 - had a wonderful time at the event and were stoked to then win the trip to the radio studio (and lunch provided by The Hits crew).

Isabella Malcolm, 10, has a chat on radio with Hits Northland host Charmaine Soljak. Photo / Tania Whyte

''We didn't do the amount of training we would have liked to have ahead of the KidsTRY, but they all had a great time and it's such a good event for them. Sadly the rough weather meant we didn't have a swim, so they did an extra run, but they all did awesome.

''They all love the TRY and they were pretty excited when they got the news that they had won the trip to the radio studio.''

Meg Balcombe, 9, from Parua Bay School gets to see how a radio studio works with Hits Northland host Charmaine Soljak. Photo / Tania Whyte

The students got to see first-hand how a radio studio works, and got some air time with Soljak and gave the visit a big thumbs up.

■ The Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon is designed for Kiwi kids aged 6-15 years to help them stay active and healthy through a programme of participation. The series has been running since 1992 and is a rite of passage for Kiwi kids, to date more than 300,000 Kiwi kids have given it a TRY.

Unai Iturbe-Stenberg, from Parua Bay School, is happy in front of the microphone in the Hits Northland radio studio. Photo / Tania Whyte

Open to Kiwi kids of all sporting abilities the Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon is a fun day out for kids, parents and families. Participants get to swim, cycle, and run their way around age appropriate courses, either as an individual or as part of a team of two.