One Heart Many Lives Supporting Health And Competition At Ir

The IronMāori event in Napier on 3 December is serious competition but brings a serious health message too, says PHARMAC’s Māori health manager Marama Parore.

Māori continue to die up to 14 years sooner than other New Zealanders, and have higher rates of smoking, diabetes and obesity-related illness.

Ms Parore says this difference in health outcomes is the driving force behind One Heart Many Lives, a health programme aimed at Māori men and their whānau.

The programme has a simple message: “Get your heart checked bro”, says Ms Parore.

“Every year our community loses its men too soon. When they go, they leave a gap in the lives of their partners, whānau and communities. That’s why we say one heart affects many lives, because when one man dies, we are all affected,” she says.

One Heart Many Lives is a major backer of IronMāori, which is much more than just a Napier event, says Ms Parore.

“People enter it from all over New Zealand. What started out as a community event, one where people just sought to achieve an ambition, now also draws top athletes from around the country.”

Celebrities such as Jenny May Coffin and Aroha Hathaway will be competing in a team to support all participants taking part. Endurance runner Lisa Tamati will also be at the event to inspire and korero with whānau about just what it takes to make it to the top.

“People have been getting together to do their preparation and training, then they come together again on the day. The event brings together first timers, non-athletes and the super-fit in a way no other ironman or half ironman competition does. And it’s all done in the spirit of helping each other and promoting better health and lifestyle. It’s more than just an event, it’s a movement.”

There will also be free heart health checks at the One Heart Many Lives tent during IronMāori, which is centred on Pandora Pond in Napier. The One Heart Many Lives heart check tent will be open from 9am-3pm on Friday December 2nd and 0830 to 4pm on Saturday December 3rd.

Marama Parore says the One Heart Many Lives team is particularly interested in assessing Maori and Pacific men in the target age range of 30 and over.

One Heart Many Lives is part of the government medicines funding agency PHARMAC’s role to promote the optimal use of medicines.

Weblinks: http://www.oneheartmanylivesco.nz

http://www.facebook.com/pages/One-Heart-Many-Lives

For more information on the Iron Maori event visit: http://www.sportsground.co.nz/ClubSite.asp?SiteID=10827&PageTypeID=1&PageID=35993 or contact 021 863 342

ENDS

© Scoop Media