Waikato Business News July/August 2019

22 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS July/August 2019
TŪ TONU NEW BUILD
Combine Concrete Cutting (2004) Ltd is proud
to associated with Kingsbeer Construction and
Tu Tonu Rehabilitation in the construction
of the new centre.
New rehabilitation
centre combines best
of both worlds
From page 20
Tapara said the idea to build
something like this came to
him while living in Australia.
He was born and raised there,
and while he was completing
his Masters in Physiotherapy
at Victoria University, they
looked at health strategies for
the Indigenous population.
“Some barriers were they
didn’t like to come to the
‘concrete jungle’, they didn’t
like driving two hours for a
20 minute appointment and
they didn’t like the individual
one on one concept because
they’ve never lived like that,”
Tapara said.
“So we started devising
meaningful times that groups
of 10 could come to places,
and instead of coming in for 20
minutes, they would come for
two hours and work with us in
a meaningful block.”
Tapara is no stranger to the
health and fitness industry. He
was once a promising young
rugby player coming through
the Australian age-group levels,
until he suffered many
injuries including four knee
surgeries by the time he was
21 years old. He had to retire
early, and went on to become a
physiotherapist.
He returned to New Zealand
and opened his eyes to
te reo and Māori tikanga. He
began to understand the interconnection
of emotional, spiritual
and mental wellbeing
when we are physically hurt.
“We’ve always just been
given Western rehabilitation -
you must do this and do that.
We isolate the injury straight
away. So it’s now about understanding
the entire person first
and foremost and planting the
seeds of returning back to what
we were always designed to
be - functioning in a community
and connecting all of our
hauora.”
He said Māori often feel
the Western world makes
them feel isolated, alone and
rejected. He wants to change
that. And while Tū Tonu won’t
magically fix you, it will help
provide the right services to
make you embrace that inner
warrior. You will push the
boundaries of health and wellness
and be a part of meaningful,
holistic health care.
The building space is
owned by property developers
Kingsbeer Properties Ltd. Special
mention to Trent McIntosh
at Macos Builders, CM Glass,
Xtreme Fit for the workout
gear, Jamieson Design, Regal
Joinery, Burgeon Signs, International
Sports Service for the
basketball courts and Unreal
Lawns for the running tracks.
Call us today: 027 495 2793