Manuka Performance is delighted to announce a significant and awesome partnership with Aikaro, who will be exclusively taking our products into the Middle East region and beyond.
Global export markets and international distribution is hard work and requires finding the right market partners. Partners you can trust, build enduring relationship with and who have the experience, understanding and connections to establish your brand presence and gain market share.
As a Māori business from New Zealand producing game changing sports energy and nutrition products, we hold to some very important values: Whakaiti (Humility), Manaakitanga (Generosity), Whanaungatanga (Relationahip), Kaitiakitanga (Guardianship) and Whakatere (Hustle).
Step in Aikaro, a Dubai based organisation providing globally recognised Health & Fitness qualifications, omnichannel product availability and training solutions across the United Arab Emirates, the wider Middle East region, Pakistan and India, (13 countries) totaling a population of nearly 2 Billion people. 100 Million of whom are actively involved in fitness / health / wellness of some form.
Our relationship with Aikaro is based on the deep values we both share, our unique connection and enduring commitment to do good things for others.
This region is experiencing huge growth in the sports, health & wellness sector, functional nutrition and especially New Zealand made products. This market would have been impossible to enter without the months and months of hard work done by our amazing partners.
Māori Connection!
Even better, Aikaro co-founder Nathan comes from the very same region of New Zealand that Manuka Performance is located and made: Whakatane.
A former pro- sporting athlete, Nathan was a 4 x New Zealand Kick Boxing Champion and has a 3rd Degree Dan Black Belt in Karate; this started his journey as an all-round group training fitness coach and facilitator.
Nathan was part of the start up team for Fitness First Middle East in 2006 and held the position of Leadership Manager and Master Trainer for 12 years.
As one of the most influential contemporary health and fitness leaders, Nathan is a trained AIE facilitation educator who has coached over 4,000 instructors across the globe. He was the original pioneer who introduced Les Mills to the Middle East in 1998 and was also a former Master Trainer for the world renowned group fitness phenomenon.
Nathan is the founder and creator of TOA (The Outdoor Athlete) which is a holistic movement program and JUNGLE, an outdoor and indoor group training concept. He is also a dedicated wellness and health coach and believes our life journey starts with sound parental guidance.
His mantra is simple: Eat nutritious food with real value, move your body more than you sit, create happiness for yourself by doing things you love.
Fiona hails from Scotland and moved to the Middle East in 2005 originally as a primary school teacher where she studied at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.
Fiona has a wide variety of coaching experience from teaching children in schools to facilitating adults on vocational courses. She is a trained AIE (Adult in Education) facilitator and also an Advanced Instructor qualified Horse Riding instructor and was a seasoned 3 day event and show jumping competitor.
She has spent the past 15 years in the Fitness Industry and held numerous managerial positions as head coach for an all exclusive females cross fit studio and was voted Group Fitness Manager of the year in 2006 for Fitness First Middle East.
Fiona is the current REPs fittest female athlete in Dubai and competes in Ironman and Triathlon races around the world.
This experience led her into the world of wellness coaching where she assists people to get more from their work/life by showing them the value of living a healthy lifestyle and equipping them with the skills, attitudes and mobility to increase confidence, self-image and productivity.
At Manuka Performance, we are looking forward to the exciting future this partnership will bring and making available our sports energy, daily nutrition and equine products to athletes and active people in this part of the world!