Dancing with the Stars competitor Dave Letele and dance partner Kristie Williams during rehearsals. Photo / Dean Purcell
Dancing with the Stars competitor Dave Letele and dance partner Kristie Williams during rehearsals. Photo / Dean Purcell
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Former boxer and Dancing with the Stars star Dave Letele plans to have a good old-fashioned party at this weekend's Taste of Pasifika event - spreading the message of a healthy and happy lifestyle.
Buttabean Motivation, founded by Letele, is supporting Auckland Unlimited's Taste of Pasifika festivities; which launched at the weekend at The Cloud, on Auckland's Viaduct, and will see Pasifika-inspired activities running every weekend this month.
Letele, who recently finished third on the latest season of Dancing with the Stars, will be showing more of his fast footwork at an X-treme Hip Hop class as part of the Taste of Pasifika festival's Super Saturdays.
The event celebrates the vibrant cultures of 10 Pacific nations through a mix of cultural performance, food, art, fashion, sport and wellness and soul.
Letele, known as "the Brown Buttabean", has inspired many over the last few years after losing over 100kg in a bid to change his life for the better.
Encouraging Māori and Pasifika to get up and move
He said this was an opportunity to show youth and elders in the community that it is possible to achieve fitness.
"Māori and Pasifika are so over-represented in all of the bad stats," the 42-year-old said.
"For me, it's about spreading our message. Fifty per cent of Māori adults are obese, 70 per cent of Pasifika adults are obese and stats aren't that much better for our children. We are also over-represented in youth suicide statistics."
It was tough going for Dave Letele and dance partner Kristie Williams. Photo / Dean Purcell
Letele built his BBM empire to support the health and mental challenge whānau are facing.
He said his motivational training programme is a lifestyle choice and much more than a gym.
"I get frustrated when people try to pigeonhole us as a gym. It's an organisation, marae, community and village."
Letele said what motivates him is seeing children sleeping on floors in cold, damp houses and then going to school hungry.
The former boxing champ believes it is important that people belong to something positive.
"Especially for our rangatahi (youth) - when they don't have many role models in their community that they can reach out [to] and interact with."
Letele's session on Saturday will be a part of The Big Step Up, which features a special class for children that starts at 8.30am followed by a warm up with Poly Zumba.
Those heading out to the event can keep an eye out for Letele - he will be the guy with the fancy footwork leading Xtreme Hip Hop.
