Carla & HereniFitness Mums (NZ)These fit and feisty mums are taking time out to embark on the adventure of a lifetime; will they find the opposition child’s play?Carla's 37 years old and has been with her husband for 19 of those. They have two children under the age of 12, while Hereni (43) has been with her husband for 18 years and they have three children under the age of ten.
Their team motto is "Kia Kaha‟, which is a Maori phrase meaning "be strong‟. They're incredibly proud of their heritage and will be flying the flag for everyone back home.
“We hope to empower Maori women; we want them to be proud of us,” says Hereni.
The pair quickly became friends after meeting five years ago, when Hereni started Zumba classes at Carla's dance school after the birth of her third child. They socialise together a lot, and recently, took their families on a Zumba cruise around the Pacific Islands.
Both have travelled the world, though Hereni says “we haven‟t travelled extensively in the last ten years, but they're skills you don't forget.”
Their secret weapon?
“We have female intuition and that can go a long way,” says Carla.
Hereni says, “I want to challenge myself. I've been a mum for 11 years. I want to unearth some of my skills that I haven't had to use. For me, it's going to be empowering. It's like a game, and every day until it starts I'm strapping on another piece of armour.”
Carla is humbled to have been chosen for the show.
“We get to experience the adventure of a lifetime which so few people in the world get. Other teams will think we're nice mums with big smiles, but I'm very competitive. It would give me great satisfaction to beat someone half my age!” she says.
These strong mums claim "40 is the new 20‟ and they have advice for the other competitors: “Watch out for the mothers!”
RelationshipFRIENDS
OccupationCARLA: BUSINESS OWNER HERENI: STAY AT HOME MUM
Priority PackCARLA: TAONGA (TREASURED MAORI BONE CARVING)
HERENI: COMPRESSION SOCKS
Bag WeightCARLA: 6 KGS (LIGHTEST PACK)
HERENI: 8.9 KGS
Dream DestinationCARLA: MALDIVES AND AFRICA
HERENI: SOUTHERN FRANCE
Nicknamed By Other TeamsMAORI MODELS