Sisters find new life without smokes
Jessica Wauchop
QUITTING smoking is hard but thanks to the support of the Wahine Toa Challenge twins Challise and Charnelle Rutene are closing in on two months smokefree.
After smoking for more than 15 years the sporty sisters love their new lifestyle and increased energy levels.
“I just feel so much better. We are both quite sporty so just running around at softball and being able to breathe is fantastic,” said Charnelle.
“There are heaps of things that I am loving, not having my babies ask me if we are going outside to smoke any more is just one.
“I have more time to spend with the kids too which is something I didn’t realise would happen. I didn’t realise how much time I was spending outside.”
“I just love the feeling, I can definitely notice the difference,” says Challise.
The first few weeks without cigarettes were easy but things soon got a lot harder, said the twins.
“It is hard at softball because we all used to smoke. We would come off the field and light up straight away so that was a difficult habit to change,” said Charnelle.
“Summer sports, hanging out with our friends and drinking makes it harder but that’s the only time now when we struggle.”
The challenge has inspired 10 local Maori women, many who are top sportswomen, to either cut back on smoking or quit altogether. They are encouraged to introduce friends to smokefree cessation programmes.
Charnelle and Challise have put eight friends onto smoking cessation programmes and are determined to win the challenge.
“It is quite competitive with everyone wanting to win, so it is a good motivator,” said Challise.
“At work it is fine because I am busy and distracted. The crazy thing is people are ringing up or coming in and recognising me from the posters around town and saying ‘good on you for quitting, you go girl’. But when I am at home it is harder.”
The twins wanted to thank Wanita, Mere and Christine from the Wahine Toa programme or their support.
“If it wasn’t for them and the programme we couldn’t have done it, it has been great going through quitting smoking with all these other women,” they said.
The Wahine Toa Challenge finishes in about week but before then people can vote to support their favourite wahine on www.surveymonkey.com/wahinetoa.