Building more than muscle at Te Pūtake o te Oranga

Stephanie Broughton (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Awa) is a Kaitūhono Kaimahi within our Te Āhuru Mauri Tau services at Te Whānau o Waipareira. Since joining the organisation in April 2024, Stephanie has built a programme within our Frontline Services that has given our rangatahi the tools to embrace their culture through fitness. Te Pūtake o te Oranga - The Foundation of Wellbeing, began as a small programme that has since culminated into the inaugural Wai Whitirau Rangatahi CrossFit Competition, a first-of-its-kind kaupapa that recently saw 60 rangatahi take the competition floor at Juggernaut Fitness.

When the right people align
Originally from Gisborne, Stephanie says Te Whānau o Waipareira was the very first role she applied for after relocating to Tāmaki Makaurau in 2024 and from there, “everything just aligned,” she shares.

With a background and degree in sport science and experience working alongside whānau involved with working with vulnerable families, supporting rangatahi wellbeing has always been central to her mahi. That experience became especially important in early 2025, when a 15-year-old tāne (name withheld for privacy) entered our services in crisis.

“He arrived feeling unsafe, disconnected and suicidal after being moved frequently while in care. We took him in, wrapped support around him and focused first on making him feel safe,” Stephanie explains.

When plans were made to reconnect him with whānau up North, he reached out wanting to return to Auckland and to our services here at Waipareira.

“As part of our wraparound support, we asked him what would help him feel engaged again, with school, with life and who his safe people were.”

Te Pūtake o te Oranga is born
Stephanie noticed quickly that the young tāne was athletic. As both a mum and an avid CrossFitter herself, she knew the power of sport, not just physically but socially and emotionally.

She encouraged him to try her local CrossFit gym, Juggernaut Fitness, located just around the corner from Waipareira and a spot many of our Kaimahi also are members of.

“He loved it straight away,” she says. “He started training with us adults, but it wasn’t quite right. He wanted to work out with other rangatahi his own age.”

That moment sparked something bigger. Seeing the need, Stephanie created Te Pūtake o te Oranga, a rangatahi-focused programme combining fitness, wellbeing and te ao Māori. In its first term, eight rangatahi trained together toward their first competition and competed in the College Youth Games in South Auckland.

“The change was incredible,” Stephanie recalls. “We saw better attendance, perseverance with training, and a big boost in confidence. They got a real taste of what they were capable of.”

A core part of Te Pūtake o te Oranga is embedding te ao Māori into every aspect of the programme. Working within an Oranga Tamariki space, Stephanie intentionally adopted kaupapa Māori models, particularly tuakana–teina.

She invited kura kaupapa rangatahi to train alongside the urban-based rangatahi, helping to normalise te reo Māori and tikanga.

“Every Monday afternoon we’d do simple but powerful things like pepeha, and kōrero about emotions, learning that it’s okay to feel and to speak. It’s about confidence. Knowing who you are and where you come from. Normalising that it’s okay to be Māori in any space,” she shares.

Raising the bar with the Wai Whitirau Crossfit Competition
Following their early competition experiences, including events in Hamilton and at Oceania and Matatoa, Stephanie noticed a gap.

“There wasn’t anything designed purely for rangatahi māori,” she says.

So she created one. The Wai Whitirau Rangatahi CrossFit Competition was born.Held at Juggernaut Fitness in December, the kaupapa brought together 60 rangatahi from across the rohe, including local kura kaupapa. Athletes were split into three age divisions and competed in pairs, deliberately designed using the tuakana–teina model.

Newcomers were paired with more experienced rangatahi, ensuring everyone started on equal footing.The competition featured four workouts, with kaimahi supporting throughout.

“I’m incredibly grateful to the Juggernaut team for always accommodating our programme. “They believe in the kaupapa and in what we’re doing for rangatahi in West Auckland,” she shared.

“Aunty Steph” and the road ahead
Now affectionately known as Aunty Steph by the rangatahi, Stephanie says her hope is simple, that the programme continues to align with purpose.

“I love my job. I love the trust Waipareira gives us and the flexibility to give things a go and see what works. I’m the grumpy aunty but someone has to be. But I’ll always show up. And they know I’ll never let them fall.”

Looking ahead, Stephanie hopes rangatahi will continue the tuakana–teina model beyond the programme. Joining gyms independently, motivating their whānau and staying active together.

“No kaupapa works with just one person. It takes a team, and everyone has to believe in it. I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by that.”

And as for the young tāne who inspired the programme, the impact has been life-changing.

He returned to school consistently, began receiving school awards and attended throughout this year. With the support of Te Pūtake o te Oranga, alongside weekly intensive counselling, he took ownership of his journey. He has since exited our support services.

“It keeps me out of the house, helps with the friendships I’ve gained and supports my mental health,” he shared about the programme.

“Thank you Aunty Steph and Te Whānau o Waipareira for helping us with the funding and everything you’ve done.”

Wai Whitirau 2025 – Category Winners
Ngā Kākano

• 1st: Ngākaunui Bunting & Meeks
• 2nd: Nala Masters-Te Whare & Miharo Bunting
• 3rd: Capri Puru & Paige Archibald

Ngā Māhuri

• 1st: Mana Aroha Kahui & Te Koha Pomare
• 2nd: Chryselle Puru & Lou
• 3rd (Equal): Taraia-Dawn Daniels-Hovell & Whare o Te Riri Poata / Nevaeh Iwikau & Joseph White

Ngā Tōtara

• 1st: Piata Broughton-Duffey & Taonga Tamihana-Peri
• 2nd: Anthony Baltus & Daesharne Hemana
• 3rd: Siena Vaaga & Baden Radovanovich-Tatu