USO Bike Ride

Prepared by:
Date:
Proposal:

Meriama Taufale- USO Bike Ride NZ Ride Director

January 2016
2016 New Zeland Bluff to Cape Reinga USO Bike Ride
#USOBluff2Cape

USO Kaupapa
"Brothers united to improving the cycle of life of Polynesian people through cycling"

General Outline of USO NZ RIDE

Hato Paora College

Talofa lava and a warm Polynesian greeting to you!

In 2012 USO Bike Ride cycled the length of Aotearoa from Cape Reinga to Bluff promoting health and
wellbeing to Polynesian communities in Aotearoa. In 2016 USO Bike Ride will undertake the return
journey from Bluff to Cape Reinga. It will the first time that a Polynesian group of cyclists have cycled
length of the country both ways to promote health and wellbeing by a bike.
In cycling the length of Aotearoa, we cycle more than 2,250kms, and climbed the height of Mt
Everest x twice!
Included below some background information about USO Bike Ride and information about our 2016
ride. Also included as supplementary ready are some facts about USO since 2011.
Please find two Youtube links that will give you a greater sense of USO and what we represent:
2012: The USO Bike Ride https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuS1l7yf_j0
2011: Riding for my Father https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPnVR4jGGnw

BACKGROUND
Polynesian-Maori and Pacific people often feature worse off amongst all ethnic groups when it
comes to poor health statistics. Our cancer, diabetes, obesity, gout and stroke rates are increasing at
an alarming rate. We know that Polynesian families can be affected by so many health concerns as
we age as reflected in many of our USO members families who have been affected by

Death through Cancer, Stroke, Asthma, Heart Attacks-Heart Disease

Members living with Diabetes, Gout, Arthritis, Obesity
Cancer survivors
Stroke survivors
Ex smokers
Families with members who smoke

USO Bike Ride is an innovative Polynesian health and wellbeing initiative that aims to improve the
quality of life for Polynesian people through cycling. Majority of our USO members are of Maori &
Pasifika decent or support our kaupapa. USO Bike Ride is an extension of Malo Le Soifua Ltd. The
company Directors are Talalelei Taufale, Christopher Teo and Meriama Taufale.
USO Bike Ride is a unique initiaive that can support you in the journey to prevent the burden of
these poor health outweighing the ability of communities and services to prevent and manage them
effectively.
For this reason our journey is not a fundrasing event. Too often Polynesian people find it easy to
donate and give money to worthy causes when in fact the same money should be used to support
their own families. We encourage Polynesian people to manage their health better and save your
money to see the doctor as opposed to creating debt at the Doctors and creating a barrier for
families not to go to the doctors.
USO is a Samoan word that means brother. The term is gender specific, which means the it can be
used amongst men and women but never between men and women. Men can call each other USO
but Men cannot call women USO. Women can call each other USO but women cannot call men USO.

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cannot call men USO.

The USO philosophy is simple. We use the USO as a acronym:

Understanding

Strengthening

Overcomeing

Simply put, through understanding causes of what leads Polynesian people to have poor health we
can identify, create and Strengthen actions to improve current levels of health.

2016 Aotearoa USO Bike Ride:

The Aotearoa Bike Ride will start in Bluff on 11th February and end in Cape Reinga on 26th February.
30 riders and 8 support crew will follow the trip along the way.
This journey will enable Polynesian people to connect and be engaged with Polynesian people who
are improving their health and wellbeing through cycling.
The primary goals of our initiative is to spread the the health and wellbeing message and encourage
the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Regular health checks

Smoking cessation
Improved health and nutrition
Share personal stories how riders have changed their liefstyles through cycling-eg Gout
stories
5. Encourage more Polyensian people into active lifestyles

THE ROUTE- Bluff to Cape Reinga

DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
DAY 4
DAY 5
DAY 6
DAY 7
DAY 8
DAY 9
DAY 10
DAY 11
DAY 12
DAY 13
DAY 14
DAY 15
DAY 16

10th February
11th February
12th February
13th February
14th February
15th February
16th February
17th February
18th February
19th February
20th February
21st February
22nd February
23rd February
24th February
25th February
26th February

Assemble in Invercargill/Bluff
Bluff to Milton
Milton to Dunedin
Dunedin to Timaru
Timaru to Christchurch
Christchurch to Kaikoura
Kaikoura to Picton
Wellington to Porirua
Porirua to Feilding
Feilding to Flaxmere
Flaxmere to Taupo
Taupo to Cambridge
Cambridge to South Auckland
South Auckland to West Auckland
West Auckland to Whangarei
Whangarei to Kaitaia
Kaitaia to Cape Reinga

153km
64km
200km
181km
187km
164km
33km
150km
162 km
155km
135km
145km
65kms
150km
155km
125km

SPREADING THE MESSAGE:

Hato Paora College

The awareness of USO Bike Ride and improving health and wellbeing through cycling is spreading and
creating new opportunities for Supporters of the 2016 NZ ride.
Media exposure for the 2016 new Zealand ride is currently through the following sources:
Tagata Pasifika, Breakfast TV, 7 Sharp, Radio stations-Niu FM, Radio 535PI, Samoa Capital
Radio and Language programmes
Print Media- Local Newspapers, Spasifik Magazine, NZ cyclist Magazine
Internet Exposure through our Facebook Page and website
Our connections with indigenous groups in Australia, Hawaii, Samoa and other Polynesian nations
enables us to stay on top of our game and be aware of needs as well as share some best practices
from our USO abroad. Our partners will also promote the ride through their channels.
COMMUNITY FONO/HUI:
We will have fono/hui in local community settings.

2016 NZ USO Bike Ride Framework:

As part of the build up we will focus on the following
Culture

Cycle Skills
Preparation

Health and Wellbeing

Family/ Community
Involvement

Waiata/pese
Haka
Language skillsspeaking in
native tongues
Spiritual-faith
based
approaches
Relationshipsbuilding and
strengthening

Cycle safety-road
safety
Off road cycling
Cycle maintenance
Commuting to and
from work
Riding as a group
Recreational cycling
Cycling as a sport

Health check
Fitness assessment
Training plans (physical and
nutritional support) small
changes make big gains

Ongoing feedback from riders

family and friends

Riders are re assessed at 4

monthly intervals

Opportunities for family cycle

education

Promote and embed health

awareness and actions with
our current and new
members

Opportunities for family

health information

Families supported to
integrate lifestyle changes

USO members become

advocates to their families,
churches and communitiy
groups
USO riders model behaviour
change patterns to improve
health and well being and
this is taken up by family
members

Since 2011 USO has:

Hato Paora College

Worked in partnership with Cancer Society/Get The Tools to have a stall at Creek Festival
2014
Coordinated Understanding Cancer workshops in the Pacific ccommunity in Porirua and
Wellington
Supported Pacific families going through the cancer journey with fundraising activities
Developed a Polynesian model for increasing the number of Polynesian people and families
cycling
USO membership is steadily increasing in Hawkes Bay, Manawatu, Wellington, Christchurch
and Auckland.
USO members are visbly active participating in numerous Aotearoa fun rides, Ironmaori
events, Ironman and tri athlon events
Internationally USO has participated in Samoa Half Ironman events (Samoa), The Honolulu
Century Ride(Hawaii)
2013-Worked in Partnership with Samoa Cancer Society, Samoa Minstry of Health, Ministry
of Women, Community and Social Development to raise cancer awareness in Samoa (Cycle
around Upolu and Savaii)
2014 Undertaken a Child Cancer Awareness ride in Samoa Schools (Upolu) promoting healthy
lifestyles and good nutrition.
2014 USO recycled 37 used bicycles to donate for use in schools and community cycling and
triathlon events in Samoa
USO has gained the support of corporate sponsors such as Giant Bicycles, Tineli Cycle
Clothing, Oakley Sunglass, Mavic helmets and shoes to create an affordable entry point into
cycling for riders and family members.
USO has featured regularly in Newspaper stories in Wellington, Hawkes Bay and nationally
through Hawkes Bay Today, The Dominion Post, Spasifik Magazine and Niu Fm radio
USO Bike Ride has also featured on TV Ones Tagata Pasifika
USO 2014 Samoa video on Facebook has reached in excess of 200,000 views and been
screened on Japanese TV channels during prime time news with audiences in excess of
2,000,000 people

usobike@outlook.com
Twitter: @usobikeride
http://http:/www.facebook.com/USOBikeRide
http://usobikeride.co.nz

Ride Safe. Ride Well. Be Seen