Exercising is not everyone’s favourite thing to do, but one class at STEP CHCH – Xtreme Hip Hop and you’ll be hooked.

Founders Shanelle and Tommy dared to dream and now they are now living it, providing an inclusive space to encourage active and healthier communities.

Their classes place fun and whanaungatanga at the centre. And they have mean jams too!

STEP is an acronym for Shanelle and Tommy, Encouraging Potential, Prosperity, and Perseverance, whatever that means for you.

“It’s like a family, really,” says Shanelle. “Everybody comes in and they’re hugging each other and they’re saying, hello. I guess, for me personally, it’s about laying that foundation of belonging, and we do that through whanaungatanga in class … they’ll have moments where they’ll find out things about each other and introduce each other. And the whole idea of that is that the next time they come into class, they know that person.

“If you go into a gym setting, you can literally go on a treadmill and not talk to anybody. But in our classes, we encourage everybody to talk and to learn about each other, and when you feel that space of belonging, you’re more than likely going to continue to go back.

“And although they may be coming to only one or two classes a week, it’s still encouraging them to actively move, and just you know, you make better choices for your health and well-being when you feel good.

“Once you’re through the door, you’re there, like, we literally lock you in for an hour, and then you can go home. But, yeah, I think it’s a huge thing to acknowledge that the hardest thing is actually to make that decision, and say, ‘I’m going to put my own health and well-being first, and I’m going to walk through those doors.’”

Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu have been proud to support Shanelle and Tommy through WAVE funding; it has been an immense privilege to watch this kaupapa grow.