More than 80 fitness and health enthusiasts participated in the third annual Aitutaki Liftoff sporting event on the beautiful island of Aitutaki last week.

The competition attracted 84 competitors, including 50 internationals and their families from Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia, as well as a host of local athletes from Rarotonga, Mauke and Aitutaki.

“This is what the Aitutaki Liftoff is all about, uplifting and connecting youth and communities through fitness,” says Dani Adendorff, Director of the event.

“This year proved to be an overwhelming success, with almost double the number of competitors and spectators since 2022 as well as a special guest from the USA, our emcee Eric Botsford who brought with him a wealth of experience, as well as all the hype and energy.”

The introduction of the local youth category this year definitely added a special element to the event, said Adendorff.

“Offering local youth a new experience and a new challenge, which most of whom had never before had the opportunity to partake in.

“We were overwhelmed by the support from local and international sponsors for our kids enabling them to take part for free, and to enjoy all the sponsored goodies by being a competitor.”

Four youth teams of 16 individuals participated in the youth event, some also entered the weightlifting competition, held at the Aitutaki Fishing Club on Thursday 31^st August.

Six lifters from Aitutaki including three teens from Araura College - Travel Ngatamariki, Mimau Tom and Riro Matapo, hit the weightlifting stage for the first time.

“After just a few months of training, all of the local lifters proved their worth against some hefty international competitors,” said Adendorff.

“I am so incredibly proud of our lifters for taking on the challenge, overcoming nerves and doing our island and the FuncFit gym proud.

“Some had just been introduced to weightlifting a month ago, but their hard work and commitment has shone through in their amazing performances on the night.

“This is a very exciting prospect for the sport of weightlifting in Aitutaki, as it's clear that there is so much undeveloped talent here.”

Adendorff will continue to work with the youth and lifters to prepare them for the 2024 Cook Islands Games and beyond.

The event also drew improved numbers this year, with a total of 26 lifters (from 12 lifters in 2022) from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, Rarotonga and Aitutaki.

Top lifters of the night were: Youth Female - Evah Sosene (Rarotonga), Youth Male - Etoa Puni (Rarotonga), Open Female - Renne Maclennan (NZ), Open Male - Daniel Braithwaite (NZ).

The crew from Kea Kids TV, one of Aotearoa’s biggest youth news shows, were also on the ground to capture all the action at the weightlifting event.

The Four Person Team challenge kicked off on Friday 1^st  September, with 84 athletes and 30 volunteers descending on the foot of Maunga Pu, met by the sounds of local drummers and an empowering warrior pe’e to hype up the athletes for the two day challenge.

Athletes completed a 3.5km (Youth and Beginner) and 4km (Opens teams) course up and around the spectacular mountain track, carrying sandbags and enjoying breath taking views of the Aitutaki lagoon.

“We are grateful for the support from all the volunteers who gave their time to assist us as marshals and judges for this event which saw all 84 competitors compete simultaneously which required us to really rally the community for support, and they came through wonderfully.”

The second day was held at the beautiful peninsula of Ootu, where teams took part in four more short events featuring various functional movements testing strength, endurance, speed and most of all - team work - using barbells and various equipment that was all handmade by the Liftoff team themselves.

These included handmade pull up rigs and sleds, welded using off-cuts from old boats, donated rope from Vonnia’s and wooden log apparatus' which were used in the swimming event.

The event is run on a very tight budget and whatever equipment is needed is made on island using good old “island ingenuity”.

Chicken feed sacks and potato sacks made the 50 sandbags for the Maunga Pu race.

“This event truly brings our community together, and the outpouring of support from locals and local businesses is always so admirable to witness. It's truly a testament to how we use fitness to connect our community,” she said.

A highlight of Day 2 included the Oe Vaka sprint races which is always a favourite amongst the teams.

“It's a great event to throw into the mix, as we have a combination of complete novices, as well as very experienced local paddlers, so it's a chance for our locals to shine.

“Thanks to Tea and Junior Pauka and the Aitutaki Oe Vaka Association for their incredible support in providing us with the vaka, paddles, steerers and logistical support needed to run this event for our competitors.

Supported by Cook Islands Tourism, Botsford, a well-known figure in the fitness events industry in the United States, travelled to Aitutaki to support the event and more specifically highlight the Youth initiative behind this year's Aitutaki Liftoff.

Botsford and Adendorff ran a ‘Give Back Day’ (Tuesday 29) at Araura College which involved 40 students engaging in various fitness activities, and a session about the significance of staying fit and active.

Athletes from Aotearoa and Australia also donated their training shoes to the kids.

“The Aitutaki Liftoff has always been focused on making a difference on a community level and I believe real change starts with our kids - creating and providing them with opportunities, training and encouragement to develop their skills and talents.

“Living on a small island shouldn’t be a handicap to any of our youth who all deserve the same opportunities,” and she will continue to work hard to keep them motivated.

Moving forward, there will be a big focus on the youth category and Adendorff is excited to see how the event can make a real difference in the lives of  the people young and old.

After two days of fierce competition the top teams across the three categories were: Youth Team RXSG Destroyers (Aitutaki) - Enrique Joseph, Leni Stewart, Alistar Maao and Geoffrey Henry; Beginners Team Forces of Nature (Rarotonga) - Tarina Moorfield, Jason Moorfield, Lee Horton and Pip Hansen; Opens Team Overthink Tank (Australia) - Scott Neale, Luke Cooper, Rachel Koschzek, Em Sherrington.

Celebrating the end of the event, the athletes and their families enjoyed a well-deserved dinner and island night show at the Blue Lagoon restaurant at Aitutaki Village, where the prizegiving was held.

A visit to Aitutaki is not quite complete without experiencing the pristine turquoise lagoon, so on Sunday all competitors set out to One Foot Island for a wrap up lunch, enjoying a day of perfect weather conditions, delicious local cuisine and a few light refreshments.

Adendorff would like to thank all the sponsors who contributed to the success of the Aitutaki Liftoff and those who supported the Youth event including Cook Islands Tourism, Virus Clothing, Air Rarotonga, Vodafone Cook Islands, Island Love Photography and Akau Film and more.