11-08-2025
Helicopter-mad Harry steps up to the challenge
A love for all things aviation is driving young Harry Connolly to take part in the Back to Base challenge.
Participants take on a fitness challenge this August to raise funds for the Canterbury Westpac rescue helicopters and the ROA mining rescue helicopter.
Five-year-old Harry, from Akaroa, is mad for helicopters and planes.
His favourite pastime is standing by the Christchurch Airport fence and watching aircraft take off.
When he cannot see them in person, he watches YouTube videos of Emirates A380s and tracks planes on his flight radar app at home, while the lounge floor is littered with toy aircraft.
Harry would love to one day get an invite to the helicopter base.
'Sadly, out our way we don't get a lot of flights, but when the helicopters come out, he gets all excited,' his mother Mikayla Connolly said.
Harry's dream job is a pilot or an air traffic controller.
He said he loves airplanes and helicopters because they 'fly in the sky'.
Harry is a member of the Canterbury Plane Spotters Facebook group, which put up a post about the 'Back to Base' challenge.
It said if participants raised $250 they would receive a helicopter medal for completing the challenge. Harry was all ears.
After Connolly explained it was about more than just a medal and how important it is to give back to emergency services, Harry decided to sign up.
There are four different distances available to participants: 9km, 49km, 97km and 155km.
Harry opted for 9km, which is the distance from Christchurch Hospital back to base at the airport.
Connolly put up the fundraiser last Sunday with a goal of $250.
The target was cracked within 24 hours. Harry's goal has now been moved out to $1500.
As of this morning, Harry had raised $1000.
The Connollys are well aware of the importance of emergency services after their eldest son Logan had a febrile seizure as a baby.
'It was really scary at the time because it lasted a long time and we didn't know what it was,' said Connolly.
She assumed the rescue helicopters would always be available, but at the time both were in Mt Hutt and unable to travel to Akaroa as the situation was not urgent enough.
They ended up meeting Hato Hone St John halfway, which took Logan to Christchurch Hospital. Fortunately he was okay.
'I'm so passionate about making sure those services are available when people need them and that all does come down to money these days, doesn't it,' said Connolly.
She has donated regularly to the rescue helicopters since then.
Ensuring the choppers are well funded is important for Akaroa as it turns a 90-minute car ride into a 12-minute flight to Christchurch Hospital.
Harry will complete the challenge by biking the length of Okains Bay beach and going for a few bush walks while on holiday in Hanmer Springs.
Connolly hopes spreading the word on Harry's challenge will encourage other kids to do the same.
