In 2016 ManaakiFit Ltd was started from our co-founder Gina's desire to have a lifestyle designed around board sports and having more wāhine to do them with. She was previously a snowboard instructor and had just become a personal trainer so was looking for a way to combine all the things she loved into something she could do everyday. The business set out to teach more wāhine to skateboard, surfboard and snowboard to improve their fitness.
In 2018 Wellness Riders was started from our co-founder Sarinah's desire to connect her wellbeing knowledge as a naturopath with physical activity as she felt a lot of the common health problems she was seeing in her practise would be helped through increasing peoples sense of connection and physical activity. Wellness Riders was started as a social wellbeing group that provided a space for social connection & being active.
Gina and Sarinah met at Snow Planet at the start of the ManaakiFit journey in 2016 and their friendship led to them working together to run a womens skateboard therapy programme that involved skateboarding lessons taught by Gina and womens wellbeing sessions led by Sarinah. They loved working together and this was the programme that showed them the magic of combining their joint experiences.
As their friendship continued and their shared passion for boardsports and using them as a tool to enhance wellbeing grew, they decided to create a combined vision, one that incorporated ManaakiFit and Wellness Riders together.
It was a perfect fit for them. Gina with her coaching/sports background and Sarinah with her wellbeing knowledge to create a holistic approach that felt right to them. Their friendship and caring one another is the foundation of all the mahi they do to together.
The co-founders decided to trade under the named of Wellness Riders and keep ManaakiFit as the Maori name for the business as well as the legal name of the business. ManaakiFit remains an very important name as it represents the Māori roots of the business as well as our mission to bring Te Ao Māori practices into our mahi work.
Wellness Riders represents the ethos around our mahi as we ride boards for our wellbeing to feel connected to ourselves, others and the environment.
Manaaki means cherish in Māori, ManaakiFit represents cherishing ourselves, others and the environment through broadsports.
Since 2018 Wellness Riders has been privileged to welcome in the talents and good vibes of other awesome wāhine.
"Manaakitanga" is our guiding principle - to cherish & look after.
As a crew we look to cherish ourselves through living a life that is true to us, we look to cherish each other through prioritising friendship and supporting one another and cherishing the environment through maintaining our connection through boardsports.
Check Out Our Crews Personal Journeys Below.
In 2018 Wellness Riders was started from our co-founder Sarinah's desire to connect her wellbeing knowledge as a naturopath with physical activity as she felt a lot of the common health problems she was seeing in her practise would be helped through increasing peoples sense of connection and physical activity. Wellness Riders was started as a social wellbeing group that provided a space for social connection & being active.
Gina and Sarinah met at Snow Planet at the start of the ManaakiFit journey in 2016 and their friendship led to them working together to run a womens skateboard therapy programme that involved skateboarding lessons taught by Gina and womens wellbeing sessions led by Sarinah. They loved working together and this was the programme that showed them the magic of combining their joint experiences.
As their friendship continued and their shared passion for boardsports and using them as a tool to enhance wellbeing grew, they decided to create a combined vision, one that incorporated ManaakiFit and Wellness Riders together.
It was a perfect fit for them. Gina with her coaching/sports background and Sarinah with her wellbeing knowledge to create a holistic approach that felt right to them. Their friendship and caring one another is the foundation of all the mahi they do to together.
The co-founders decided to trade under the named of Wellness Riders and keep ManaakiFit as the Maori name for the business as well as the legal name of the business. ManaakiFit remains an very important name as it represents the Māori roots of the business as well as our mission to bring Te Ao Māori practices into our mahi work.
Wellness Riders represents the ethos around our mahi as we ride boards for our wellbeing to feel connected to ourselves, others and the environment.
Manaaki means cherish in Māori, ManaakiFit represents cherishing ourselves, others and the environment through broadsports.
Since 2018 Wellness Riders has been privileged to welcome in the talents and good vibes of other awesome wāhine.
"Manaakitanga" is our guiding principle - to cherish & look after.
As a crew we look to cherish ourselves through living a life that is true to us, we look to cherish each other through prioritising friendship and supporting one another and cherishing the environment through maintaining our connection through boardsports.
Check Out Our Crews Personal Journeys Below.
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Lou ReedKai Tautoko Māori - Māori Advisor🧡Your WR Mahi...
From its conception in 2016 I have attended the sessions when possible. Gina is my daughter so I have been a keen supporter and love to taukoko / support her where ever possible. I felt this sense of kaha / strength because girls and women were empowering themselves BY FEMALES FOR FEMALES. Gina felt it was important to integrate the Māori language and concepts into the Wellness Riders mahi because of her Māori roots. Now that the team has grown she has asked me to be the leader in this. So my role is to empower the Wellness Riders team to lead Te Ao Māori practises in this kaupapa / initiative confidently. 🧡Your boardsports journey… My boardsports journey was very short. That little four lettered word beginning with F, yes FEAR gripped me while standing on a skateboard on the grass and I decided to not go any further, perhaps being over 60 had something to do with it. However I can see myself moving along, wind blowing through my short hair, swaying from side to side, feeling exhilarated, free and happy on my skateboard. So maybe this is yet to come. 🧡Reasons you love boardsports… I love boardsports because it has been such a male dominated sport for such a long time, and women and girls are now proving that they are just as capable, not just in boardsports but in other fields as well. Just being a participant in the activities challenges old stereotypes and archaic thinking, allowing girls and women to enter into a world of possibilities. 🧡What other ways do you cherish (manaaki) yourself? (personal wellbeing) I involve myself in activities that stretch my creative and artistic pursuits. I love sharing my skills such as te reo and raranga / weaving with those who are keen to learn, ensuring that the correct tikanga / procedure is adhered to. That is very important to me. 🧡What does being a part of the Wellness Riders Crew bring to your life? I feel a great sense of responsibility to empower these wāhine to feel confident in using Te Ao Maori practices in their mahi. I come from a time where this was not encouraged at all and have been on my own journey to reclaim my language and cultural practices in my adult years. I love seeing the ripple effect empowering others, that comes from supporting these wāhine, teaching them this important knowledge and ensuring things are culturally correct / tika. I love that I am a part of a business that focuses on making Māori language and practices common place and celebrating them in their mahi. |
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Jenny FitzmauriceChief Operations Officer🧡Your WR Mahi...
I'm so stoked to be part of the Wellness Riders team. My mahi for this awesome company is all related to the skills and experience I have gathered from 20 years of working in sports. I started off helping out where I could, assisting the coaches at skate sessions, and now I manage the operational side of the business. I like to think of myself as the 'get the house in order' person, who can help tidy things up, make sure we have processes in place so things run smoothly and safely, allowing the rest of the team to shine in their roles without worrying about the 'boring' stuff! 🧡 Your boardsports journey… I came to boardsports later in life as I grew up around more traditional activities like tennis and football. I had a surf lesson in my early 20's, followed by a snowboard holiday with friends. Then I had some kitesurf lessons (and have been an eternal beginner in that sport for over 10 years!), then I started paddleboarding in my mid/late 20's and then finally skateboarding in my 30's! 🧡Reasons you love boardsports… I think it must be the connection to nature - water, mountains, the outside air, plus the flow/mindfulness that concentrating so hard on something creates, and finally the sense of satisfaction that you've got out there and done something cool! 🧡What other ways do you cherish (manaaki) yourself? (personal wellbeing) I'm so mindful of taking care of myself physically and mentally. I set pretty strict boundaries so I know I'm not rushing around trying to do a million things in one day. I love to exercise and that could be a quick HIIT, or yoga session on youtube, but my favourite is running with my dog Bo (and husband Shaun) through the forest or at a local Parkrun. My ideal day starts with a beach walk and a dip in the sea (even in winter!) I read every day before I go to sleep, eat chocolate every day, and go to bed pretty early each day too! 🧡What does being a part of the Wellness Riders Crew bring to your life? Getting to know Gina and Sarinah and the rest of the WR crew has meant so much to me. To be part of this crew inspires me every day that you can create a life where your passions and interests can be your life - not just a thing on the side or on your to do list. I love the values that we share around empowering women like me to get out there and give it a go, and giving women the confidence to try things that are a little different from societal expectations |
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Gina ReedChief Shine Officer🧡Your WR Mahi...
I am one of the co-founders of Wellness Riders. I do a bit of everything from instructing at sessions to business planning and most importantly keeping the vibes high and our vision to empower wāhine to shine moving forward. 🧡Your boardsports journey… I worked at Mt Ruapehu when I was 18 and learned to snowboard. I loved it so much I became a snowboard instructor. I then got into skateboarding after a snowboarding friend asked me to go for a skate with her, I loved it. Then I decided to start learning to surf as I loved the beach lifestyle too. My goal now is to design my life around these activities as they bring me so much joy. 🧡Reasons you love boardsports… I love the feeling of being in the elements, especially up the mountain or in the ocean. Nature revitalises me and makes me happy. I love the cruisey feeling and flow of riding along weather it be down the mountain, along the footpaths or waves. It's all so great. I also love when I get to hang with my friends and meet new friends doing them. 🧡What other ways do you cherish (manaaki) yourself? (personal well being) I spend time with my wee whanau my fiancé Joss and pup Stella. We love cuddling up and relaxing together at the end of our day. We also love going on surf and snowboard adventures. I love a good pamper session with a nice facemask, a positive podcast playing and a yummy herbal tea. I enjoy my alone time to reflect and day dream. 🧡What does being a part of the Wellness Riders Crew bring to your life? It brings me purpose. I love working with awesome wāhine who inspire me. I love that this mahi helps me build strong friendships where we are creating something meaningful together. |
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Sarinah HurfordChief Wellness Officer🧡Your WR mahi?
I'm a co-founder of Wellness Riders and have worked as a clinical Naturopath since 2008 (holistic health consultant)! Combining movement, social connection and wellness conversations to improve mental and physical well-being has been a dream goal come to life. 🧡Your boardsports journey… My journey began at age 28 when my husband surprised me with my first surfboard (7.6ft) and introduced me to wakeboarding. My boardsports obsession continued when we moved to the French Alps a year later and I switched from skiing to snowboarding. At age 34 I took up skateboarding during a trip to Sydney and the spark was ignited to find friends who ride and vibe together in Auckland. The power of positive visualisation worked as I met the amazing board lover Gina at Snowplanet and together we formed Wellness Riders. 🧡Reasons you love boardsports… Boardsports provide the ultimate mind-fitness workout for my mental and physical well-being. I love having a board for every season and how they all feel similar to ride. This helps to keep my confidence up year round. I also love how they connect me with nature and friends and for solo time to clear my mind. I'm super attached to all my boards and can’t bear to part with any of them. You need a lot of space when you become a board hoarder! 🧡What other ways do you cherish (manaaki) yourself? Spending time with my precious baby Ella, whānau and friends, exercising in nature, listening to music, enjoying delicious and nutritious foods and increasing my wellness knowledge. 🧡What does being a part of the Wellness Riders Crew bring to your life? Wellness Riders has brought an abundance of fun, good vibes and new soul sisters into my life. I'm forever grateful for the amazing people who join our growing crew and our inspiring coaches who help empower wāhine to shine through movement and wellness. |
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Tisha YangHead Skateboard Instructor🧡My WR Mahi...
In 2016, Gina (WR founder) messaged me on facebook to do a 5-week longboard course. We didn't have longboard gear then; my friend (Larry) generously lent us a bunch of longboards to do the session! From then, WR grew picking up term contracts with schools, sessions with youth groups.. Wasn't long till we started getting funding from Auckland Council Local Boards too! 🧡 My boardsports journey… I got my first skateboard when I was 16. I practiced for weeks before I could ollie. 'Why do you make it look so hard?' said one of the skaters. A year later, my friend Nico, introduced me to longboarding. The coleman slides looked so cool and I loved the smoothness of the ride. Skating was my commute in Uni. I made friends who skated, we pushed each other to progress, it was fun. 🧡Reasons you love boardsports… It is a humbling sport, it takes hours of practice to master. You think you've got something and the next day you've lost it. It's never a bad time, there is so much to learn, you make new friends, you're moving your body, the more you learn the more fun it is! 🧡What other ways do you cherish (manaaki) yourself? (personal wellbeing) I love to dance, have been enjoying learning salsa and bachata! Must be why I also enjoy dancing on my longboard heh. Also enjoying making food for friends and family, especially eating it! 🧡What does being a part of the Wellness Riders Crew bring to your life? It’s exciting being part of a movement in providing a platform for wahine to skate! So stoked to see so many girls and woman enthusiastic to learn, pushing their comfort zones, growing in their confidence and ability. It's awesome belonging to a supportive, positive gal crew with a sense of adventure. 🧡Advice for those learning to skate? Wear your helmet. Skate within your limit, put some music on and don't give up! |
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Cleo HoodSchool Sessions Lead🧡 Your WR Mahi...
I discovered Wellness Riders a few years back over Facebook. I adored what they were pursuing and so I’ve slowly worked my way into the Crew and I now help organise, plan and instruct for our School Sessions. 🧡 Your Boardsports Journey... I grew up in Muriwai and got into surfing when I was 15 and I only got into skating when I was 27. I love them both so much. I’d really like to get into Paddle Boarding 🧡 Reasons You Love Boardsports... I love how they connect me to the elements like the sun and the sea and the wind. They help connect me to my inner child and there so liberating 🧡What other ways do you cherish (manaaki) yourself? (personal well being) I like to stretch I’m really into alternative health remedies I like being aware of my breathing I like to op shop and run and listen to music and I adore big conversations with my Mama 🧡What does being a part of the Wellness Riders Crew bring to your life? Being involved in Wellness Riders gives me a sense of belonging connection and wahine empowerment. I feel so grateful for it all and it makes me smile lots |
Wellness Riders Vision is to Empower Wāhine to Shine
Our Intentions
Inspire - more wāhine to see themselves as skateboarders, surfers & snowboarders
Connect - wāhine to a supportive and positive boardsports community
Empower - wāhine through impactful confidence building
Educate - wāhine on how to use boardsports to enhance their wellbeing
Our core principle that we base everything we do on is Manaakitanga which means to look after and cherish.
We promote looking after ourselves, others and the environment through boardsports.
Inspire - more wāhine to see themselves as skateboarders, surfers & snowboarders
Connect - wāhine to a supportive and positive boardsports community
Empower - wāhine through impactful confidence building
Educate - wāhine on how to use boardsports to enhance their wellbeing
Our core principle that we base everything we do on is Manaakitanga which means to look after and cherish.
We promote looking after ourselves, others and the environment through boardsports.
Get Involved
If you resinate with our mission and want to get involved please email us on wellnessriders@gmail.com.