For two Tui Ora wāhine toa, signing up to take part in IronMāori was something they were a bit unsure of, but after a few months of training, they’re glad they did.
With support from Taranaki Toa, Jenna Paki nee Heu (Waikato- Tainui Ngāti Māhanga, Taranaki Ngāti Ruanui) and Tiana Robson (Te Atiawa, Ngati Tama) put their hauora first and their fear behind them to get ready to compete.
IronMāori is a multisport event that includes ocean swimming, road biking and distance running. The full IronMāori event is an intimidating 2km swim, 90km cycle and a 21km run, but there are also half and quarter options. Tiana and Jenna are planning to take part in the quarter, a substantial 1km swim, 50km cycle and 10.5km run.
For Tiana, IronMāori and Taranaki Toa is something she’s been involved with from the sidelines for years through her dad, Alf Robson, who was instrumental in founding the group back in 2013.
Alf’s unrelenting encouragement is also responsible for introducing Jenna to the rōpū and event after approaching her last year to take part.
At the time Jenna was able to put the commitment off by saying ‘maybe next year’, but in true Alf fashion he came back a year later to ask again. “I was like, I can’t really say no now,” Jenna laughs, “But it’s been good.”
Soon after they said yes, in April they jumped in headfirst to start training in swimming, running and biking at their first training camp on a wet Sunday morning.
After the initial shock, both wāhine have since noticed positive changes in their mindset, fitness and overall hauora.
At a recent check-in camp, they completed all three disciplines one after the other. For Tiana, it came at the right time.
“The week before that I was like, I’m not doing this,” she says, “But we went to the camp and that confirmed for me the progress I’ve made since April and made me realise I can do this!”
Tiana says she may even be ‘a little bit addicted’ – especially to swimming. She now fits in extra Thursday morning swims before work, alongside other sessions when she can, so she can continue to improve in the discipline she knows she needs to put the most work into.
Swimming has also become one of Jenna’s favourite parts of the journey, especially as she used to swim when she was younger. At first, she tired quickly and wondered whether she would ever get the hang of it again. But slowly, length by length, her confidence returned, “I’ve noticed I can now swim length after length, and I’m thinking wow, actually I’m doing this,” she says.
“I didn’t realise how much I actually loved swimming until I got back into it, it’s really relaxing.”
Both wāhine agree that the biggest challenge they face is mental and not letting self-doubt creep in, and also that keeping consistency is key when in training mode.
“Triathlon training is a mental thing more than a physical thing,” shares Tiana.
On the difficult days, they say it’s the people around them who keep them motivated to keep turning up to train. Of course, Alf is always there to keep an eye on them too.
“If he notices that we’re not there or we’ve missed one, he’s like, ‘Hey team!’” Jenna says, “He keeps us going and keeps us in check.”
Alf’s passion and dedication to supporting others in their hauora journey is at the heart of Taranaki Toa. The group brings together people from across Taranaki to train and tautoko each other. It is open to anyone, from rangatahi to kaumātua, and its purpose is to help whānau pursue hauora through triathlon and other endurance events.
For those thinking about committing to IronMāori, Jenna and Tiana’s advice is to reach out to Taranaki Toa. They’re quick to list all the things they’ve seen the group help with like finding equipment, sharing knowledge and making sure no one feels alone or unsupported.
“Just do it,” Tiana says, “Reach out to Taranaki Toa because they have all the tips and tricks.”
When asked about what they imagine it’ll be like crossing the finish line in October, the words that come are proud, emotional and overwhelming.
“Just to get to that finish line,” Tiana says, “Going from where we started and actually completing what we set out to do, it’ll be a big achievement!”
And after that they say there will be lots of kai shared and celebration with whānau… and possibly another IronMāori after that!