‘Big unit’ sheds 60kg in the pool

Chris Kanuta is inspiring others to do aqua aerobics after losing 25 per cent of his 240 kilograms.

After dropping 60kg, Kanuta, 42, is attempting to inspire others to get active.

Two years ago, the Avondale resident was almost a quarter of a tonne and couldn’t walk more than five steps without a rest. He was also living with type two diabetes.

Then he found aqua aerobics and Jumpstart, an exercise, nutrition and lifestyle education programme for people with diabetes run by the YMCA.

He is now down to about 180kg, and is half way through his journey to reach his goal weight.

But, Kanuta says, it’s not all for him.

‘‘More than anything, I’m doing all this for my family,’’ he says.

‘‘I was a big unit. I still am. I want to lose another 60kg but a goal for me is my son’s birthday. It’s in December and we are going to Rainbows End.

‘‘My goal is if I can’t fit on the rides, I want to be able to just walk around with him for the day.’’

The lifestyle change came about three years ago for Kanuta, after ‘‘a rough few years’’ saw him spiral into a state of depression. A state in which food was his comfort.

‘‘I went through a lot – I lost my Mum and Dad very close together and my baby sister, she was only 28,’’ he says.

‘‘I became depressed and then lost my job. I was almost done and then, found Jumpstart and haven’t looked back.’’

Aqua aerobics is not something Kanuta took to straight away however, and says it was the people that ultimately sold him on it.

‘‘I was shy, really shy, at first. The pride sort of took over, I didn’t want to be dancing around with those old people.

‘‘But they opened their arms to me, there was no judging or anything like that.

‘‘They broke me out of my shell from that first day.’’

Jumpstart operates programmes at 11 YMCA centres across Auckland.

Kanuta has been asked to become a volunteer instructor at his Mt Roskill centre, something he is both surprised and excited by.

‘‘I want my story to help others. There are many more people like me who can hopefully learn from what I’ve been through.’’