Sweat and smiles at Koha for Kids Day boot camp

The Koha for Kids charity boot camp wrapped up for another year, with a day of fun at the Rotorua Village Green.

Run by the team at Free Fit Rotorua this is the third year of the Koha for Kids boot camp.

They trained three sessions a week for eight weeks all raising funds for tamariki.

Organiser and manager at Free Fit Rotorua Toni Childs said that four years ago she and co-owner Warren Tumarae volunteered at the Rotorua Community Christmas Lunch.

"He fell in love with it, so the Koha for Kids came about as a way to give back to that."

The money raised from the Koha for Kids boot camp buys Christmas presents for all the children who attend the community lunch.

The participants in the boot camp also volunteer together at the lunch.

Over the eight weeks they were joined by 15 guest trainers and had the opportunity to pick up a few prizes.

"We got all of the best trainers to come together, and they all give their time for free," Childs said.

On Sunday they celebrated the end of the eight weeks with fun activities and put the trainers through their paces with a fitness session of their own.

Tairi Ford, (left) Tiari Tahau, 9, Ramari Paul and Te Hikawera Paul, 8 race across the grass. Photo/Stephen Parker

"It was our very first Koha for Kids Day," Childs said.

"We were trying to create a fun day where they actually get to put the trainers through their paces with all of the skills they've learnt."

She said it was open to any members of the community that also wanted to come down for a bit of a workout.

"It was all just fun games and activities,"

"They dressed up in full scuba diving clothes and ran bucket to bucket carrying baskets of kina."

She said the day had been a lot of fun, with a lot of impromptu games added in and lots of laughter.

"For one of the games people had balloons tied to their bum and, apparently to overcome fear, we had to pop them with our mouths. It was scary but a good laugh.

"Next year is looking like it will be even bigger."