Whetu Te Paki

The Biggest Loser

Ko Ruapehu te Maunga
Ko Whanganui te Awa
Ko Kaiwhaiki te Marae
Ko Aotea te Waka
Ko Ngaa Paerangi te Hapuu
Ko Te Atihaunui-a-Paapaarangi te Iwi
Ko Tawhitapou te Whaanau
Ko Whetu Te Paki taaku ingoa

Tena koutou katoa,

I am writing to share my never ending journey to a healthier lifestyle and how this will succeed through to my family and my ambition to participate in IronMaori 2011.

For the majority of my life I have lived life large. I have a large family, large dreams, achieved large and as are many maori male, I also have a large body size. I have struggled with my size for the majority of my life, which to this point has not prohibited me from accomplishing my goals, supporting my whanau or participating in events – until 2011.

I am a 36 year old Maori male, non-smoker who has a passion for hunting, fishing and supporting my family. I am a Corrections Officer at Whanganui Prison and together with family activities and passion leaves me little time for anything else.

At the beginning of this year my partner and I decided we would like to encourage our children to travel the world and explore their options past college and/or university. To assist them to think big, we planned an excursion – 11 days in Los Angeles USA and 4 days in Fiji. As our children started to get excited about going to the different countries, being exposed to different cultures, visiting theme parks and scuba etc, I came to the realization that I couldn’t partake fully in our trip due to the size restrictions at the theme parks, scuba equipment or even airplane seating! Weighing in at 180kgs – the decision was to lose weight because missing out was not an option!

In May 2011 I made a decision to get active and lead a healthier lifestyle. This started with me revising my food intake and participating in regular exercise. As I am a private person, I opted to work alone in the first instance just in case it wasn’t for me then joining the Biggest Loser Challenge 2011 through my work.

Initially I started on a well balanced eating plan that would give my metabolism a kick start. Combined with a 40 minute gym session 5 days per week and a light run and/or durie hill steps over a 3 week period has seen me adjust to the eating and exercising regime (if you don’t know where the steps are – Google it! They are some crazy steps!). In weeks 4 & 5 – I stepped it up to calorie counting and alternating cycling, running and the durie hill steps (while maintaining the gym session 5 days per week).

Week 6 on wards I have worked on maintaining a form of exercise twice per day (walk/run/bike/swim/gym), 7 days a week balancing it with a good eating plan. I enjoy combining my healthy lifestyle in to everyday life and make it a priority to exercise.

I am now at week 9 and to date I have lost a total 30kgs. I have a whole new view on life, exercise and promoting good health. I have gained enough confidence to assist others on their road to a healthier lifestyle by sharing my experience and I also have new challenges ahead that I aim to fulfill. One of the challenges I wish to partake in is Iron Maori 2011. At the time of registrations being open for Iron Maori I lacked the confidence in myself to partake and do well. Now I am of the view that I have a level of fitness that will allow me to participate combined with the encouragement and support of my whanau.

Whetu Te Paki

Letter of acknowledgement from Whetu's employer

To whom it may concern:

On the 16th of May 2011, Mr Whetu Te Paki took part in a 12 week health and well being challenge as part of a 50 strong group of officers which was hoped would assist them in losing weight and gaining a sense of self motivation and continued want to stay fit beyond the conclusion of this challenge.

Mr. Te Paki has been, not only a source of encouragement to all other participants, but also one who has staid fast and not waned from his commitment to the challenge. His is a story of self pride and kaha beyond that of your average competitor.

His initial weigh in weight being 175kgs had been of some concern to us as organizers, as we were not prepared to deal with problems should there be any health issues/risks with overtraining or losing too much weight too soon. But, as is usually the case with this man, Mr. Te Paki again proved us wrong, by losing a massive 11 kgs in the first two weeks of the challenge, then 5 kgs the following weigh in and another 4 kgs in the next. We are now in week 8 of the challenge and Mr Te Paki has recorded another respectable 5 kgs giving him a total weight loss to date of 25 kgs.

We believe that this man has been the main source of inspiration, and reason that we are now seeing other Corrections Officers utilising our gym facilities and walking the perimeter fences of our Prison facility, and for this we thank him.

On behalf of the organisation group of the BIGGEST LOSER CHALLENGE, we wholeheartedly support any and all endeavours that Mr Te Paki may wish to participate, particularly IronMaori 2011 and encourage others to do the same.

Mauriora

D KERETI