The Due Drop Hope Challenge, a charity triathlon involving a powerhouse lineup of former elite athletes and I Am Hope founder Mike King reached the Beehive today.

The 16-day relay event began in Cape Reinga on the 10th of April, saw the team attend more than 30 community events and meet with Kiwis from all walks of life to share their stories, concluding with a hikoi to Parliament today.

The celebrity line-up included All Black great ‘Kamo Kid’ Ian Jones, MNZM, triathlon world champion Rick Wells, MBE, NRL star Richie Barnett along with Mike King.

The challenge raised more than $500,000 which will see young people gifted with more than 4,000 free counselling sessions under the Gumboot Friday model, with less than two-week turnaround times for an appointment.

The team were met by Christopher Luxon, Leader of the National Party. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins did not attend.

“We turned up to Parliament today to deliver a message from the young people of New Zealand about our broken mental health system and no one from the Government turned up. Ironically, our Prime Minister was just up the hill a few meters away from where we stood, burying a tree which is symbolic, because his mental health system is burying our children,” said Mike King.

The Due Drop Hope Challenge crew also included a slew of non-athlete participants (mostly mid-aged) who ran, swam and cycled the length of the North Island to raise awareness of children’s free counselling service Gumboot Friday in the regions.

cause.

Other participants:

• David Mitchell – Auckland businessman and keen swimmer
• Richard Hart – Auckland real estate guru and comic relief expert
• Karim Rostami – Polio virus survivor for whom walking again was considered a miracle by doctors, who fled to New Zealand from the Taliban regime when he was just 8 years-old
• Geoff Evison – Auckland IT professional and keen international swimmer

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