Like many parents, Maree Greaves has simple but important goals for her family: helping build her son’s confidence to participate in sport, and finding time in a busy schedule for healthy meal planning and outdoor activities.

Being introduced to Sport Canterbury’s Active Families programme became the first step toward building Maree’s own confidence – and setting a family goal.

“James and I both haven’t been very active in the past few years, and he’s only 10. I just needed to get a bit of motivation from someone who knew what they were talking about.”

Sport Canterbury Active Families Coordinator Justin Mitchell visits Maree and James each week, with helpful tips and resources relating to physical activity and nutrition.

“I find with the diet thing, because there are so many excuses people make for not cooking healthy and not getting exercise…I’ve slipped right into that trap and I need to get out of that trap.

“I need to make really good decisions about exercise and what we eat. It’s about being prepared – so when you get home from work and you’re tired, you’ve got something easy to go to.”

At school, James had tried many different sports without finding one that he enjoyed. With Mitchell’s guidance, his mum is helping grow his confidence – and fitness – to make sport more fun for the primary school student.

“I don’t’ want James to feel defeated. We put a basketball hoop up at Christmas time – James likes it. If we miss, we have to run to the gate and back! My goal as a parent is to get his fitness up so he can enjoy sport.

“It’s about making exercise fun and not a chore.”

Mitchell also suggested setting the Sport Canterbury 6km event, as part of The Star City2Surf, as a family goal. Maree was quick to take up the challenge.

“It’s been really great because we spend more time together going for walks. We’re motivating each other, and we want to have that sense of achievement, of completing something like that.

“We’ve never done it before!” she adds. “I want him to have a sense of accomplishment.”

That sense of achievement – “to complete something together” – should be even greater for Greaves, considering the demands of her work schedule and family life.

“The challenge is finding the time,” she reflects. “A lot of it’s got to do with motivation and the choices we make.”

Sport Canterbury’s Active Families service was developed in 2009 by the Ministry of Health to address issues that can be managed with regular physical activity and healthy eating habits. 

“Over the years it’s been a bit easier for me to say, ‘Oh we don’t need to do that, we don’t need to exercise, because I’m quite tired. But it’s really important.”

Greaves cites increased energy levels and time “to process things” in her head as clear benefits of regular exercise.

“And I feel happy. It’s giving me a lot more energy, and I actually feel clearer when I’ve been out for a walk.”

Family walks have their own set of benefits – and there have been plenty of these leading up to this weekend’s Sport Canterbury 6km event. “It gives us time to talk,” she adds. We talk about a lot of things when we’re talking, and not thing we would talk about when we’re just at home.”

Despite the excitement of setting a goal, James isn’t fully convinced. Yet Greaves has persevered, encouraging him each week with the reminder that “6km isn’t that far!”

Although completing Sunday’s event will be satisfying, the sense of achievement could have far-reaching consequences.

“I don’t ever want him to be down on himself. My job as a parent is to build him up.

“I’m hoping (the Sport Canterbury 6km) will ignite something in him to know how good it feels to exercise. We haven’t been an exercising team…but we can change it. He’s only 10!”

Given Greaves’ positive outlook and consistent optimism, it’s not surprising what she has in mind for Sunday afternoon – after they reach the finish line together.

“We’ll probably plan our next challenge!”

Register for the 2018 The Star City2Surf and Sport Canterbury 6km events at The Athlete's Foot Riccarton and The Athlete's Foot Northlands.