The Decathlon New Zealand Foundation Challenge

Imagine how AUT & DECATHLON can work together to sustainably make sport accessible to all Aucklanders!

David Letele

David Letele is living, breathing proof that obesity can be overcome – and an inspiration to thousands of Kiwis.

Once weighing in at 210 kilograms, Letele now weighs less than half of that. He achieved is transformation purely through hard work and dedication to his goal of turning his life around. He now works tirelessly to motivate others dealing with the challenges of obesity. His private Facebook group has over 13,000 members, many of whom have achieved life-changing levels of weight loss and improved cardiovascular fitness.

David is currently working with public health and social service providers across Auckland to deliver his highly effective BBM programs to improve the health outcomes for obese people.

The following link provides further insight into why David was happy to be a part of this challenge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhWQIPctS2k

Sheryne Lok

"I have a huge passion for community sport and recreation, diversity and inclusion, sport and recreation planning, sport facility feasibility studies, needs analysis and cultural intelligence".

Sheryne Lok is an empathetic, motivated, ambitious and passionate Parks, Sport and Recreation Consultant with over 10 years of experience in the sector. Her recently completed Master of Business, majoring in Sport Leadership and Management, addresses historic understandings of New Zealand-Asia relations in the context of Chinese participants and their experiences in sport, recreation and leisure centres in the Auckland region.

In her work as a Committee Board Member for Recreation Aotearoa Auckland and a Young Leader for New Zealand Asian Leaders, she is already situated “around the table” with future policy and programme makers. Sheryne also works as a partnerships specialist for the Make A Wish Foundation NZ; managing, supporting and developing relationships with existing sponsors, partners and key business supporters.

you can connect with Sheryne, via LinkedIn

 

Dr Andu Iordache

As a 12 year old kid growing up in Romania’s small, crowded & vibrant urban spaces, Andu Iordache had the idea of a street soccer game whereby kids played all-on-all, with the last one standing winning. Some fifteen years later, on visiting his parents’ place, he was pleasantly surprised to see local kids were still playing that game.
 
Dr Iordache launched Hungerball in New Zealand in 2015. The game is popular with schools, holiday programmes and football clubs, with arenas used in Australia, England, Canada, Venezuela and US.
 
For the story of Hungerball, please watch the video
 
 
You can connect with Andu, via LinkedIn

Dr Sierra Keung

 
 

Russell Preston

Russell Preston was raised in a single parent family in South Auckland. He learnt the value of sport at a young age through participation in boxing, rugby and rugby league. Represented Counties Rugby at Roller Mills and then Auckland Rugby League at age group level. 

Russell served 24 years in the Justice Department as a Court Registrar and Prison Inspector, followed by 10 years in the private sector in manufacturing and the hospitality industries.  He enrolled at the University of Auckland as an adult student and graduated in Human Resource Management in 1995. In the same year, he became a Life member of the Auckland Rugby League Referees Association.

Russell is committed to providing sporting opportunities to as many young people as possible so they too can enjoy the fun of sport and meeting the lifetime friends through that participation. He served as a Trustee at Counties Manukau Sport for two years before becoming the CEO in 2006. 

Connect with Russell, via CMS