‘Fortunate’ to wear the Waikato colours
Te Aho is versatile, playing firstfive for her club team and then moving to half-back for the Waikato squad.
Her experience and leadership was rewarded when she was named 2017 Women’s Club Player of the Year at the Waikato Rugby Union Awards.
‘‘The things I’ve slowly achieved and the goals I set myself, all started three years ago. It wasn’t just a spur-of-themoment thing,’’ Te Aho said.
‘‘I feel fortunate to earn the right to wear the Waikato jersey.
‘‘I’ve got two daughters who are growing up and hopefully they see if mum can do it, they can do it too.’’
Te Aho lives in the small town of Tauwhare, 15km from Cambridge, where she has become a mentor for many young people through her achievement in sport.
She was grateful for the community and family members who picked up babysitting duties while she trained.
‘‘A barrier is that most team’s are training two nights a week and play on the weekends, so not many people are willing to look after three kids, but I am lucky to have a community and my sisters to help me,’’ she said.
‘‘Once you become a mum, you’re expected to be only in that role. But I truly believe that mums should be able to be a sportsperson every now and again.
‘‘A lot dads don’t have to worry about [the guilt].’’
Te Aho worked as a kohanga kaia¯whina at Te Ko Utu Kohanga Reo in Cambridge where she tried to incorporate ‘‘active teaching’’ into her work with tamariki.
It could involve simple skills such as passing and kicking a ball, for example.
‘‘And really just trying to get the tamariki excited and happy about being active with the help of other whaea, through waiata and kori tinana [song and body movement].’’
Research by Sport Waikato and Sport New Zealand showed the most common barriers preventing women from playing sport were time, cost, appearance and social confidence.
Only 20 per cent of women were members of any sport or physical activity club, compared with 35 per cent of men.
Sixty-five per cent were interested in taking up a sport, but the study showed a perception that women did not have the time.
Te Aho said becoming a mum wasn’t the be-all and end-all for playing sports like she initially thought and she hoped other mums would see that too.
By continuing with her passion, she’s seen benefits across her home-life and on the sports field, including having better time-management and communication, she said.
But most of all, Te Aho wants mums to escape from their selfdoubt.
‘‘You always compare yourself to how you used to be. Mums need to go back into that [sporting] environment because they have a different perspective on things.
‘‘But first and foremost, let your family or your husband know that you intend to go back, and get a good support-system around you.
‘‘Then, just go for it. You don’t know until you try,’’ she said.
‘‘Or fake it ‘til you make it, anyway.’’