The Marathon for Motherhood: Running the London Marathon for Hōkai Tahi

Raising children is a marathon, not a sprint – and with 60k births in NZ per year, it’s not always a smooth journey. Of those, 15k parents experience anxiety or depression as result, and the leading cause of maternal death in NZ is suicide. Since founding Blue School in 2013, Sian Paterson has been part of the journey of hundreds of children and their whānau. This professional experience, coupled with her studies in Social Work and Psychology, have shown her how critical the well-being of mothers is, for the marathon that is motherhood.

Motherhood brings joy, challenges, and profound changes to a woman’s life. Some challenges, such as mental health, are significant but not widely talked about. 1 in 3 NZ mothers (50 per day) consider their birth to be psychologically traumatic. But maternal mental health doesn’t just affect mothers. Research shows that the mental health and wellbeing of mothers, has flow on effects on the development and wellbeing of their children and families. For some, the support of family and friends is enough, but for others, professional help is needed.

That’s why Sian is about to embark on her own literal Marathon to support Hōkai Tahi – an organisation that supports and promote the well-being of mothers and their whānau, in particular, those who face adverse circumstances from conception to 1yr postpartum. Initially Masterton based, Hōkai Tahi established a satellite clinic in Featherston in 2024, to provide more support for South Wairarapa mums.