Kia whakaarohia te mahi poi mō tētahi wā e roa ake ana i te 30 haora! Koinei kē te mahi a Kahurangi Aroha Reriti-Crofts, ka mutu, nā ēnei mahi i noho ai ia hei toa mō te ao i te tau 1976. He tuawahine ia ki ngā mahi haka, ā, e maumahara tonutia ana tēnei angitutanga i ēnei rā.
Nō te hapū o Ngāi Tūāhuriri i te rohe o Ngāi Tahu a Kahurangi Aroha. I rawe ki a ia ngā mahi whakangahau me te whakaatu i tōna ahurea ki tangata kē atu.
He mea whakaawe ia e tētahi atu kaiwhakangahau, e Rangi Greg, i noho hei toa mō te ao i mua i a Kahurangi Aroha, i āna mahi mō ngā haora e 26. Nā Rangi a Kahurangi Aroha i akiaki, i tana kī, “Kua māmā kē ki a koe”. Nō reira, i tīmata tahi rāua, ka mutu, mō te haora tuatahi, i mahi a Rangi i ngā mahi poi i te taha o Kahurangi Aroha.
Kāore i rite tonu te mahi poi a Kahurangi Aroha; e rima meneti i te haora te roa o tana whakatā. Nā ōna hoa, nā tōna whānau ia i tautoko mā te mirimiri i ōna waewae, mā te waiata, mā te whāngai hoki i a ia ki ngā kai namunamuā. He mahi pārekareka!
Nōna e 80 tau ana, i mahi poi tonu a Kahurangi Aroha i ia rā mō ētahi meneti 10 e pakari tonu ai ōna pokohiwi me tana kakī. I whakapono ia ki te poi hei korikori mā te katoa, inarā te hunga kaumātua.
Ko tā te kaingākaunui a Kahurangi Aroha ki ngā mahi poi, me tana noho hei toa mō te ao, he whakaatu i ngā mahi autaia e taea nei e tātou mā te whai i ō tātou moemoeā, me te whai kia upoko pakaru. Ehara i te mea he toa noa iho ia; engari kē ia he tuawahine ki a tātou katoa!
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ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Imagine performing poi for over 30 hours! Dame Aroha Reriti-Crofts did just that and became a world record holder in 1976. She’s a kapa haka superstar, and her amazing achievement is still remembered today.
Dame Aroha hailed from Ngāi Tūāhuriri, in Ngāi Tahu. She always loved performing and sharing her culture with others.
She was inspired by another performer named Rangi Greg, who had a world record of 26 hours. Rangi encouraged Dame Aroha to break his record, saying, “You can break that easily.” So, they started together, and for the first hour, Rangi joined her in the dance.
Dame Aroha didn’t dance continuously; she had five minutes of rest every hour. Her friends and family kept her company, massaged her legs, sang songs, and even had delicious food together. It was a lot of fun!
Dame Aroha still performed poi for 10 minutes every day when she was 80 years-old, to keep her shoulders and neck strong. She believed poi is a great exercise for everyone, especially older folks.
Dame Aroha’s passion for performing and her incredible poi record shows us that we can achieve amazing things when we follow our dreams and work hard. She’s not just a world record holder; she’s an inspiration to us all!
