Cancer survivor Matiu Taingahue is cycling 1100km to raise money for Far North Hospice.
Cancer survivor Matiu Taingahue is cycling 1100km to raise money for Far North Hospice.
A high-performance coach and osteopath and cancer survivor with strong links to the Far North is cycling 1100km across the country to raise much-needed funds for Far North Hospice.
Matiu Taingahue’s Inspiring Ride Across Aotearoa: Celebrating Life, Promoting WellBeingNZ, and Supporting Far North Hospice, started on Tuesday.
Taingahue is known for his dedication to human performance and holistic health and wellbeing and faced life-changing news on December 22, 2023 - a diagnosis of cancer.
Despite being diagnosed with Stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma of the throat and neck, he approached the challenge with remarkable resilience and optimism.
“What initially felt like the darkest chapter in my life turned out to be one of my greatest blessings,” Taingahue said.
Matiu Taingahue (right) and Dr Damian Marsh (left) on a ride to raise money for Far North Hospice.
His experience has inspired him with a renewed purpose - to widely promote his holistic philosophy of wellbeing, empowering individuals and communities to flourish as true “Well Beings”.
To launch his new wellbeing platform, WellBeingNZ, he has embarked on an ambitious cycling adventure — riding from East Cape to Cape Egmont across the widest part of New Zealand via the challenging 1100km Kōpiko route. This demanding journey includes approximately 16,000m of climbing (equivalent to nearly two ascents of Mt Everest) through remote, hilly terrain with limited services and accommodation options.
Joining him on some of the epic trip will be his best mate, Dr Damian Marsh, senior medical officer at Kaitāia Hospital and a doctor for Far North Hospice.
Taingahue said his motivation for choosing this route is deeply personal and culturally significant. He traces his ancestral roots to the East Cape and Poverty Bay, and his family history connects strongly to Taranaki and Parihaka. The journey also symbolically follows the path of the sun, starting at sunrise on Tuesday at East Cape - the first place in the world to see the dawn - and finishing at Cape Egmont in the west.
Matiu Taingahue is on his bike for a good cause, raising money for Mid North Hospice.
The ride also marks the one-year anniversary of completing cancer treatment and aims to raise vital funds and awareness for Far North Hospice, a community organisation providing essential care to individuals in their final stages of life.
Taingahue spent significant parts of his childhood in the Far North.
WellBeingNZ is a holistic wellbeing platform founded by Taingahue, dedicated to empowering individuals and communities to achieve optimal health. Inspired by his personal experience overcoming cancer, WellBeingNZ integrates traditional wisdom, modern science, and practical advice on mindset, movement, nutrition, and social connection.
