Pacific rangatahi get hands-on with sports science at Ara

_{Alani Saafi from Shirley Boys' High School completed a VO2 max test}

Pacific students from across Canterbury got a taste of life as a sports scientist when Tupaia STEAM Academy brought its 2026 cohort to Ara's City campus for a morning of hands-on testing and industry exposure.

The visit saw students from Christchurch, Ashburton and Timaru put through VO2 max testing, blood pressure monitoring, body composition scans and other tools used every day in the health and exercise science field.

Tupaia STEAM Academy is a Tagata Moana-led mentoring and pathways programme for Pacific rangatahi aged 14 to 18, built around weekly in-school coaching, talanoa-based mentoring with Pacific role models, and termly wānanga covering robotics, coding, engineering and design. The visit to Ara was one of those wānanga in action, giving students industry exposure and a look at what tertiary study in sport, nutrition and health promotion could look like.

Among those who put themselves forward for testing was Alani Saafi, a student at Shirley Boys' High School who plays volleyball and rugby. Saafi ran on a treadmill for ten minutes with the intensity increasing throughout, while his heart rate and oxygen use were measured through a mask connected to testing equipment.

A VO2 max test measures the maximum amount of oxygen the body can use during intense exercise. It's considered the gold standard for testing cardio fitness and endurance, with a higher score showing how efficiently the heart, lungs and muscles work together to turn oxygen into energy.

Saafi said he was happy to give the test a go.

"I kind of wanted to do it so it wasn't a problem to go along with it. I just got in my zone and was running like I usually do," he said.

He said wearing the mask to measure oxygen was interesting, and the results surprised him.

"The tutor said my results were above average. I was surprised and I'm happy with that!"

In reality, his results put him in the elite to superior zone, comparable to the fitness levels expected of a Premier League footballer.

Saafi said the practical nature of the session was what stood out most.

"I really like the practical side of stuff, so doing an activity like that just really engages me. I feel like I learn more doing something rather than sitting in a classroom reading off a screen or hearing a lecture. The whole practical side of stuff makes it more interesting to learn," he said.

Dr Peter Olsen, Principal Lecturer and Programme Leader for Ara’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Sport and Exercise, Human Nutrition, and Health Promotion, said hosting the Tupaia STEAM Academy cohort was a highlight for the Ara team.

"It's brilliant seeing rangatahi get hands-on with the same equipment our own students use every day. You could see the moment it clicked for some of them, that this isn't just something you read about, it's a real career path," Olsen said.

"We'd love to keep building this relationship with Tagata Moana Trust and Tupaia STEAM Academy."

Poasa Alaifea, Partnerships Lead at Tagata Moana Trust, said the visit was exactly the kind of exposure the Academy was set up to provide.

"Our tamaiti don't always get the chance to see themselves in these industries until they're standing in the room. Watching them take on the VO2 test and ask real questions about pathways into health science, that's what this programme is about," Alaifea said.

Tagata Moana Trust relies on public funding and donations to run its programmes, ensuring Pacific whānau face no cost or barriers accessing its services. Anyone wanting to support Pacific futures in STEAM can get in touch with the Trust to find out more.

Interested in a future in sport, nutrition or health science?

Ara offers Bachelor of Applied Science degrees in Sport and Exercise, Human Nutrition and Health Promotion, with the next intake starting this month. You'll learn practical skills from industry-experienced tutors using the same equipment students like Saati got hands-on with, and graduate ready for careers as personal trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, performance analysts, nutritionists and health promoters.

Find out more about studying Health Promotion, Nutrition, Sport and Exercise at Ara.

_{Dr Peter Olsen fits a student with an exoskeleton}