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In this episode we talk to Bree while we were at the NZ Ice Swimming Championships.

Bree is a lovely, bubbly young womanwho was quite happy to challenge some older male clever dicks!

We got to speak about her swimming story and some of her other life experiences, including living in the arctic for a year.

Bree has done ice swimming and has also complete 2 of the NZ triple crown swims. She is currently training for the 3rd, te Ara a Kiwa/Foveaux Strait and is looking to raise money for shark conservation by doing it. There's a link below if you would like to support her.

We had to pay a price to do this episode, Bree insisted on putting make-up on the clever dicks, just as we were off to the prize giving for the Ice swimming champs. Pic's on Instagram.

References
RBM3 protein - involved in cold chock & hypothermia

Dream Girl by Joy Holley

Mountains to Sea, Wellington

Give a Little page for Swimming Te Ara a Kiwa for Sharks

Bree on Instagram

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In this episode Duncan & Jim talk to Francois Lambrechts.
We talk about Francois about his start to swimming in Queenstown in a borrowed wetsuit, but ended up swimming in skins in Dunedin. Impressive as the water can get below 10C in Dunedin.
Francois has a rare disease call Charcot Marie Tooth syndrom which affects his electrical system, and in spite of this has become quite a swimmer.
He is also an active volunteer for the NZ Coastguard and is participating in this years fund raising, the Big Swim. He tells us about the swim and also lots about what the coast guard does in New Zealand.

The Big Swim
Francois page on the big swim
The Clever Dicks Big Swim page

Info on Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/1245/charcot-marie-tooth-disease-type-1a

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In this episode Duncan & Jim talk to Woodie Campbell, or as we found out to Wirimu Campbell. Wiri/Woodie only started a few years ago when people at his gym convinced him to join in the swim squad.
Before that he was doing his version of a triathalon, 10 min each in the Sauna, the steam room & the spa pool!
Not long after starting to swim his sister convinced him (told him) to join them in doing the Iron Maori, a triathalon event, so he had to move to real tri's.
He is now a committed ocean swimmer and has participated in most of the NZ open water swim events.
A very engaging story, it is easy to see why he is popular with many swimmers.

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In this episode Duncan & Jim interview Jeannine Goddard.
Jeannine learned to swim in Zimbabwe where she grew up and has carried on swimming since then.
We talk about getting into ocean swims as well as her grit & determination in achieving more & more goals.
Recently she completed an ICE MILE at her first attempt and gives a great account of the swim.

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In this episode Duncan & Jim talk to Andy Donaldson.
Andy has achieved what no other swimmer has done before, he completed the Oceans 7 swims within a year. And set the world record for crossing the Cook Strait taking only 4hours 33 minutes, that is seriously fast.
But we talked about much more than swimming, his support of mental health charities, whether the aussies understand his scottish accent, and what kind of kilt he has.
Andy was a wonderful person to talk to, and had plenty of great stories to share.

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In this episode Duncan & Jim talk to Cameron Bellamy.
Cameron is an extreme athlete by any standard. He has swum 100km around Barbados and from Barbados to St Lucia, a swim of over 151 km in 56 hours.
And this is just his swimming, his rowing exploits as just as fantastic.
We talked about swimming in the hot waters of the carribean, the mental aspects of swimming through the night (many times) and also how to deal with the pain of box jellies and salt mouth.

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In this captivating podcast episode, Duncan and Jim sit down with Phillip Rush, a remarkable New Zealand swimmer. Phillip’s aquatic journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Let’s dive into the highlights of his life:

Background and Achievements:

• His claim to fame lies in conquering the English Channel in both two and three-way swims. In 1987, he achieved the world record for the fastest three-way swim, completing the grueling challenge in an impressive 28 hours and 21 minutes (with the two-way segment taking just 16 hours and 10 minutes).
• Phillip’s aquatic prowess extends beyond the English Channel:
  • He has swum the English Channel a total of 10 times.
  • The Cook Strait in New Zealand has witnessed his strokes 8 times, including a remarkable Double Crossing (completed on March 13, 1984, in 16 hours and 16 minutes, and repeated on February 9, 1988, in 18 hours and 37 minutes).
  • Notably, he became the first person to achieve a double crossing of New Zealand’s Lake Taupō (a 40.2 km swim) in January 1985, setting a time record of 10 hours and 14 minutes.
• Life Beyond Swimming:
  • After retiring from competitive swimming in 1990, Phillip Rush transitioned into coaching.
  • His passion now lies in supporting and guiding swimmers embarking on solo swims around New Zealand.

Phillip Rush’s story is one of resilience, determination, and a deep love for the water. His legacy continues as he inspires the next generation of open-water swimmers. 🏊‍♂️🌊

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In this episode we (well mainly Duncan) talk to Shamima. Shamima is the mother of Shazeel, a swimmer with autism and reduced mental capacity.
We hear what water means to Shazeel and how it has always calmed him down, and the challenges of teaching him how to swim.
Shazeel & Duncan have swum together for 4 years now, training swims, short (2km) races all the way up to a 20km chopper challenge swim.
Shamima tells us what it is like to see her son swim off when she is on-shore and Duncan gives us some stories about what swimming with Shazeel is like.
Sarah O'Dywer was, and is, a key part of Shazeels swimming journey and may be able to help other disabled swimmers. Her email address is sarah.007@windowslive.com