Ryman’s Paewai Tume inspires residents as he pounds the pavements of Cambridge
Paewai Tume on one of his regular walks around Patrick Hogan Village.
With construction of the main building at Ryman Healthcare’s Patrick Hogan Village about to ramp up later this month, site worker Paewai Tume is on a walking mission to ensure he remains holistically healthy for the job.
As residents in Ryman’s 49 villages are signing up for the annual walking challenge – Walking for Wellness – Ryman team member Paewai Tume (MNZM) is walking his own impressive mission.
Paewai has worked on the construction of five different Ryman Healthcare villages over the last 10 years and knows how essential it is to be mobile so that he can move around the site confidently.
Residents are becoming familiar with the sight of Paewai in his high vis vest and steel toe-capped walking boots, striding around the perimeter of the Hugo Shaw Drive village.
“I walk one way in the morning, and I walk the other way in the afternoon,” says Paewai, a former member of the NZ Defence Force.
“I walk to be better every day. I want to be well, productive and to be better than yesterday, and it’s good for the cognitive side too.
“Coming from a military background, I want both the mental and physical to be in peak condition.”
Two years ago, Paewai decided to start walking, and as he did, he began equating his steps to the distances between each of the five villages he had worked on – Jean Sandel in his hometown of New Plymouth, Bob Scott in Petone, Kiri Te Kanawa in Gisborne, Linda Jones in Hamilton and Patrick Hogan in Cambridge.
He has clocked up 1700km in 18 months and realised the distance was equivalent to the distance from Cape Reinga to Christchurch.
“So it was a simple decision to keep going all the way to Bluff.”
He soon achieved the 2400km distance but rather than sit back, relax and marvel at the milestone, Paewai is now setting himself the challenge of walking the same distance back again.
“I’ve worked out that it should take me 29 months to walk 3000km, which is equivalent to walking from Bluff to Cape Reinga via the Te Araroa Trail.”
By then the main building should be well and truly completed and the team will be finishing off the remaining stages of townhouses.
Patrick Hogan residents, from left, Lynn Turner, Di Mist and Margaret Billington, who are possibly the keenest walkers in the village.
Paewai arrives at work early so he can fit in his first walk of the day, then he does another one during his lunch break, and at the weekends he tops up with maintenance kms to get closer to his yearly target.
“I don’t count the domestic steps I take throughout the day, I just count the conditioning steps from active walks.”
He has worked out his pace by counting his steps and measuring the distance walked and doesn’t use any apps or fitness devices. He doesn’t even listen to music as he walks.
“I like to listen to the birds singing and look for the seasonal changes in the light or the weather. I want to be in it. I like the deprivation, the adversity. If it was easy, anyone could do it,” he says.
Patrick Hogan resident Di Mist, who is signing up for Ryman’s 2025 Walking for Wellness challenge, says Paewai’s passion and commitment is inspirational.
“I have every confidence that Paewai will be able to achieve his goal of the return leg.”
Di’s kilometre count rivals Paewai’s, as she usually walks around 35km a week.
“I enjoyed getting stuck into the Walking for Wellness last year and achieved my goal of 120km in a short period of time.
“I have always enjoyed walking and love getting out and about in Cambridge.”
Fellow resident Lynn Turner says walking brings her real joy, especially when she gets close to nature.
“I’ve had zen moments when walking on the river trail when I’ve had the trail all to myself and am enjoying the sound of the river as it slowly moves past.
“It is the enjoyment of walking that has me hooked!”
Another keen walker in the village, Margaret Billington, suffered a broken hip last year so missed out on the walking challenge, but now recovered, she’s raring to go.
“I am back enjoying my daily walks, though I am a little more careful of where I am walking.
“I often meet Paewai if I am out around lunchtime. He always has a smile and words of encouragement,” she says.
This year the Walking for Wellness: Step into Spring event allows residents to set their own goals and time limits. Walkers will choose a distance between 0.5km and 8km and how many days they will walk that distance, collecting points along the way.
Walkers can earn extra points by taking photos, with the most creative awarded at village celebrations to be held in October.
Walking for Wellness registrations close tomorrow and the challenge will take place throughout the month of September.
While there are many pleasant walks around the Cambridge area for residents to start their Walking for Wellness training, one highlight of the year is the annual Light Night.
People are encouraged to walk or ride along the lit-up Te Awa River Ride, an approximately 2km section (one way) from the Gaslight Theatre towards the Velodrome and back.
This year, the walk is on Saturday and walkers from Patrick Hogan will walk the 6.3km from the village to the Gaslight Theatre, arriving by 6pm for the river walk, and then afterwards head back to the village.
Paewai Tume on one of his regular walks around Patrick Hogan Village.
