For quite I while I had had the idea to start a walking group, and in late 2012 decided to launch it early the following year to take advantage of great summer weather.

Having worked in the health and fitness industry since 2000 I understand the positive impacts of getting outdoors and getting active along with others. I wanted to offer an accessible way for women to have a fun, social way to improve their health and happiness all while building community and raising funds for a great cause.

What’s in a name?
Having grown up in Hokowhitu (a suburb of Palmerston North) the name Hot-Whitu Chicks came to me and I pictured a team of Hot-Whitu Chicks wearing Hot- Pink and raising money for Breast Cancer. Everyone I mentioned the idea to loved the sound of it, so the Hot-Whitu Chicks was launched on the 9th February 2013.

Why?
There were four main reasons I started the group
(1) to raise awareness of being breast aware, encouraging women to be vigilant about regular checks,
(2) to raise money for the breast cancer foundation,
(3) to get women in the community connected, to foster friendships and community among people and
(4) to encourage people to get active, get outdoors in the fresh air

We have achieved all of these goals with a real mixture of ladies of all ages coming along and enjoying our lovely scenic 5 km walk along the river and back past the lagoon. We stop for a cuppa afterwards at the local Community Centre which gives everyone a chance to really connect and chat.

With so many cancer survivors as well as those that have been affected by losing loved ones, its really great to knit together and support one another. We have lost family members which is where my personal connection comes in so I feel really privileged to be able to put money towards this cause as just a small step towards helping others.