Hot Shots Team Skips Into Auckland

Hot Shots Team Skips Into Auckland

The Hot Shots, Australia’s premiere jump rope team, today skipped their way into Auckland to celebrate twenty years of Jump Rope for Heart (JRFH) in New Zealand.

Brendan Madden, one of the young Hot Shots, Australia’s premiere jump rope team, today showed Auckland children a new view to skipping for better heart health, as part of the National Heart Foundation’s Jump Rope for Heart’s 20 year anniversary celebrations. (Picture by Doug Cole, Toppix.)

JRFH is the National Heart Foundation’s long–running school based initiative which promotes the importance of physical activity and leading heart healthy lifestyles to New Zealand children, as well as providing a valuable fundraising activity to directly support national health promotion and education.

Aged between 12-26 years, the Hot Shots this afternoon, performed a public demonstration at ASB Stadium in Kohimarama. The free demonstration was open to the public.

Combining a vast array of skipping skills and tricks with gymnastics, dance and music, the demonstration showed children basic to advanced rope and movement skills, and how to skip towards a healthy, active lifestyle.

As well as spot prizes for the public, local Auckland schools including Glen Innes Primary, St Paul’s School, Whenuapai Primary, St Therese, and Peninsula Primary from Te Atatu, all took to the stage to perform their own jump rope routines.

Part of a tour that includes visits to over thirty primary and intermediate schools and community events throughout the country, the Auckland event also involved celebrities such as Silver Fern Temepara George in what was a fun, family event.

Jump Rope for Heart National Programme Manager, Sharlaine Chee, said JRFH teaching resources are available free to schools. Special fundraising events during the school calendar contributes vital monies for JRFH to continue in schools and towards the Heart Foundation’s work in reducing heart disease and stabilising rates of obesity.

”This is Jump Rope for Heart’s 20th anniversary in New Zealand, and we’re celebrating in the knowledge over one million New Zealanders have participated in the programme. As Jump Rope has come of age, we’re delighted to grow the programme by looking at ways to introduce the concept of demo team skipping to New Zealand children in 2006.” says Chee.

Ms Chee says while the Heart Foundation provides JRFH resources to almost 700 schools annually.

“We’re looking forward to visiting schools nationally with the Hot Shots, as we will not only educate youth about the importance of leading a healthy, active lifestyle, but the tour is guaranteed to bring even more excitement and awareness to the Jump Rope programme,” said Ms Chee.

The Hot Shots will be touring New Zealand between 11-23 September. Visit www.nhf.org.nz for public display venues and dates.

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About the National Heart Foundation of New Zealand:

The National Heart Foundation of New Zealand is the charity that leads the fight against cardiovascular disease including heart, stroke and blood vessel disease.

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