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Auckland Regional Helicopter Trust (ARHT) is inviting all that love a good challenge to crawl through cargo nets, rope swing across rivers and get down and dirty all in support of a vital service.
Action Matakana will be hosting the inaugural Westpac Chopper Challenge on Sunday, November 17 and entry is open for teams of four, aged 16 and up.
ARHT events manager Leanda Hunt says participants will be expected to work together to make sure each team member completes all 30 obstacles in the course.
“Team members need to work together against the clock, much in the way that a real helicopter crew must coordinate to provide patients with the best possible outcome.
You don’t need to be an athlete – anybody can do it. In a team of four everyone will have different strengths and help each other out.”
When participants sign up at chopperchallenge.co.nz, they are able to set up a personal fundraising webpage, which can be shared with friends and family on social media.
ARHT is aiming to raise $100,000 for Westpac Rescue and is hoping that at least 30 teams might raise $5000 each through the event, which is around what it takes to fund one mission.
Internationally ranked para climber Rachel Maia will be taking on the challenge along with helicopter emergency doctor Louise Park, pilot Simon Owen and intensive care paramedic Rob Gemmell.
“I’ve experienced rescue services first hand both for myself and my son. It made me aware of how much of a need there is to support this service and I am excited to get behind it and hope other Kiwis will too,” says Rachel.
Rachel suffered from a severe ankle break during a climbing accident that left her immobile when she was 16 but spent two decades rehabilitating before placing fourth in the world in para climbing at the IFSC championships in 2018.
In February this year, she made the decision to amputate the lame limb and will be taking on the course with her new prosthetic leg.
As well as a prize giving there will be a DJ and food truck there on the day and members of the public as well as friends and family are encouraged to come along and support challengers.
