Rotorua Woman Returns Home

A Rotorua woman is part of a team of eight cyclists riding the length of New Zealand to promote a strategy for addressing issues of “at-risk” behaviours among young people. Norah West works and lives at Tui Ridge Park but is taking four weeks away from her family to join the 2229-kilometre journey from Bluff to Cape Reinga.

“The first I heard about Circle of Courage, I thought that sounds very cool,” she says. “I love mountain-biking and thought that would work well but I dismissed the idea because I thought it was too long to be away from my family but, when I mentioned it to them, they said, ‘Go for it.’”

Mrs West purchased a road bike at the end of June last year and says she has done about 3200 kilometres training for this event. “I have been mainly riding by myself,” she says. “So the first few days, I have been learning how to ride in a group.

“I’m not an athlete—I was a nerd at school—so this out of my box. If I achieve this it will be a huge thing for me personally.”

But the philosophy behind the Circle of Courage that is Mrs West’s most important motivation. “As I learnt more about the concept, it really touched my heart because I have had two friends commit suicide and I thought this might be a way to make a difference,” she says.

“I want to help create awareness in the community that there is something we can do to give our young people hope. We don’t have to accept the status quo; we can stand up and make a difference for them.”