Beka O’Keefe (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou) was depressed, overweight and getting in trouble with the police. She also had an unhealthy relationship with food by comfort eating through her depression.
But after her first successful weight loss result, O’Keefe was hooked and started her physical and mental transformation journey. Now having taken control of her hauora, O’Keefe wants to help and inspire whānau who are struggling with their health and well being.
O'Keefe spoke toTe Ao Tapatahi about what got her to where she is now and what the future holds.
O’Keefe explained that, when she wanted to wear her favourite clothing item which didn’t fit any longer, she“didn’t want to leave the house, didn’t want to be seen”. This was O’Keefe's defining moment where she knew she had to make a change.
“I used my hurt and everything that I had been through to push through.”
Support came from her whānau and especially her mother, who believed that she was going to continue to help people through her experience.
O’Keefe says that during her journey she found that she got bored easily and “had to keep changing trainers to keep things interesting and when it comes to my classes I change it up”.
“I’ll even go to my client’s houses if they feel more comfortable there”.
O’Keefe trains at the Flaxmere Boxing academy, Hikoi4Life, and local pools taking aqua classes while also working with the local schools providing fitness training.