Tauranga’s Memorial Park will host the ATC Terminator Challenge – a day of military-style challenges – for the first time this month.

The annual event, organised by Tertiary Pathways’ ATC Military Prep programme, will be held on November 5 from 9.30am to 1.45pm. It marks the first time Tauranga has hosted the challenge during its 10-year run.

More than a test of physical endurance, the challenge is designed to build teamwork, discipline and resilience while strengthening connections between students from the Hamilton, Tauranga and Manukau campuses.

Tertiary Pathways head of school Fau Tiatia said the programme provided an alternative pathway for rangatahi transitioning from study into employment.

More than half of ATC students identify as Māori and/or Pasifika.

Tiatia said the programme’s supportive and culturally responsive environment helped learners build relationships with positive role models who understood their experiences.

Many Māori and Pasifika learners could struggle to find their place within traditional education settings, and ATC aimed to create a diverse and supportive environment where students could develop confidence and pursue pathways that suited their goals, she said.

Throughout the year, students undertake fitness training, drill practice, leadership coaching and teamwork exercises in preparation for events such as the Terminator Challenge.

The competition will feature six challenge stations, including a carry mission, team rope runs, tyre flips, stretcher carries, shuttle sprints and tyre drags. Students will also perform a haka during the event.

The ATC Military Prep haka honours the Māori god of war, Tūmatauenga, and the Māori Battalion, Te Hokowhitu a Tū. Photo / ATC

“While the event is designed to test physical fitness, teamwork and resilience, each activity has been planned with safety considerations in mind,” Tiatia said.

First aid personnel and a dedicated treatment area will be on site, while water, a cooked lunch and designated rest periods have been built into the programme.

Tiatia hoped students would leave the challenge with increased confidence and a greater belief in their abilities – “a stronger belief in their resilience, and a sense of readiness for whatever comes next after graduation”.

- Holly O’Donnell is a Wintec journalism student interning at the Bay of Plenty Times.