Former Te Pāti Māori co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell is preparing to cycle from Auckland to Taranaki in support of Ride for Talia 2025.
Ride for Talia, is part of Smear Your Mea, a kaupapa Māori-led cervical cancer awareness initiative, started in 2018 in memory of the late Talei Morrison, former leader of Te Mātārae i Ōrehu, who passed away from cervical cancer that same year.
Flavell, who was diagnosed with Stage four prostate cancer in 2023, says cervical and prostate cancer are among the biggest killers of Māori, with Māori twice as likely than Pākehā to die from cancer.
“Our role is simply to raise awareness as we travel on the road, but the biggest thing is the message. That is, finally, we must get tested. You just got to get tested because their life can be shortened because we leave it for too late,” says Flavell.
A group of 18 cyclists and their support crew will leave Ōrākei next Tuesday morning, arriving in the Taranaki rohe by Thursday.
They will cycle around Taranaki Maunga before ending at 10 am on Monday, 24 February, coinciding with the Te Matatini pōwhiri.
