Hula hooping at 6,000m for charity

Auckland student Maggie Shui, 20, will attempt to break the world record for hula hooping at high altitude on 7 December 2015 in Peru. Photo / Supplied

An Auckland student is heading to Peru to help overcome the obstacles of poverty with a hula hoop.

On December 7, Maggie Shui, 20, will join a team of 17 Peruvian and international charity workers to attempt to climb more than 6,000m in order to break a rather unusual world record - hula hooping at a high altitude.

The team are hoping to raise $10,000 for the aptly named charity HOOP - Helping Overcome Obstacles Peru.

It's a small organisation based in the city of Arequipa in the south of Peru, which aims to break the cycle of poverty through education, health and social programs.

"The challenge has really captured the imagination of the public and we have already received a lot of support and good wishes from friends and family back home," Ms Shui said.

"As well as becoming world record holders, we have an ambitious fundraising goal - with all the money raised going straight back into supporting the project in Flora Tristán."

In order to prepare for the challenge, the team had been doing weekly training sessions in order to tackle hula-hoop techniques, as well as learning how to avoid altitude sickness.

The record attempt will take place on a 6,057m peak near near Arequipa called Chachani - where oxygen levels are at 50 per cent compared to at sea level and high wind speeds add futher challenges.

The current record for high altitude hula-hooping was set in 2010 at an altitude of 5,895m on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

To support the fundraising campaign, visit www.hoopperu.org/hulahoop. All funds will go directly into HOOP's project in Arequipa.