"One of the good things about being on TV is that it keeps you accountable. The benefit I really wanted was to lose weight -- what better way to do that than put in sundry on screen during the 10-week journey," Mr Tapuke said.
"Prior to working here (Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu), I worked at the University of Waikato and Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi. The workload was anywhere from 16-18 hours a day and the weight just absolutely ballooned.
"I had a work visa card, a work car, I would be leaving Whangarei or New Plymouth to come back to Rotorua and it was usually post school time. It might be a four-hour journey and I would stop in at the BP and get the best thing to keep yourself awake which was Coke and lasagne. It was the sugar rush I needed to keep me from crashing and my weight just ballooned."
Mr Tapuke said he changed jobs to create time for himself and had strong support from his family and the group. He is also being assisted by his mentor and personal trainer Lee Roberts. Halfway through the challenge, he has lost just under 15kg.
"I went to Ngati Pikiao Hauora to talk about my heart and cholesterol and they told me if you don't do anything by 50, you will need heart pills. I'm still in shock to hear that, I'm in my mid 40s now," he said.
"Because it's on TV2 it's been a bit of fun. My mates would say, 'Come, have a beer with us,' and I say 'No, I'm going to be on this TV2 programme like the Biggest Loser' and it kind of legitimises it.
"When the roopu all get together everyone is at different stages but we support and encourage each other.
"I love waka ama and would really love to compete again at the world competition and medal again but I have to get right down, lose almost 45-50kg. It's still a long way to go and at the end of the 10-week challenge I need to have created that base to make sure I can continue on," Mr Tapuke said.
2Kotahi mentor Maylene Meroiti said her roopu was seeing some major downsizing.
"This is contributing to the roopu's high motivation levels, this will definitely be transferred to the final challenge," she said.
"We have our 2Ora trainings every Tuesday and Thursday at varying venues to ensure whanau are always being challenged by new elements within the different environments.
"The reward for me is seeing the whanau changing in all areas of hauora (well-being) -- taha wairua, taha tinana, taha hinengaro, taha tangata and working through our 2Paenga -- the stages of Tumatauenga (Maori god of war and people). [These are] Tukariri (angry stage), tukanguha (fierce stage), tukaha (strong stage) and tu-tangata e (proud stage).
"My challenge at the end of the 2Hauora 10-week challenge is to continue the hauora haerenga (journey) with 2Kotahi, it's not about 10 weeks, it's about the next step, where to from here?"
Miss Meroiti will be starting a sport, health and fitness programme as well as low intensity sessions for Free Fit Rotorua starting next Tuesday, November 11 from 7pm at the Lakefront Village Green by the Soundshell.
2Hiringa mentor Mrs Olley said she'd been inspired by her group.
"It's been awesome to be able to witness such awesome weight loss but also the progression of their fitness levels. I consider them my whanau, and I have had some who never attempted a walk and are now jogging," she said.
"From what I see from my roopu, even 2Kotahi, the effort has been amazing. I also think it's helped having the inspiring motivation around them, their peers, from the same roopu, keep the whanau going, the support has been amazing and I'm very, very proud.
"I've had people who could barely walk before, it's been an emotional journey for me to be able to witness my whanau progression, they've never given me any grief or concerns, they've just they came onto this kaupapa for a reason and have gone with it."
• 2Kaha screens on TV2 every Saturday at 10am.
