I had the pleasure of interviewing my swim coach Barbara (Barb) Watson, who has dedicated over 60 years to coaching in Wellington. It was recorded while we sat in her car at Freyberg Beach early on a Wednesday morning, watching the sunrise and drinking coffee.

In this episode you'll hear some of Barb's life story and much of it is an oral history of swimming in Wellington, from the early 1950s to today.

Barb was always drawn to the water and it ran in the family because her dad, Frank, was an open water swimming champion in the 1920s before he took on coaching and pool management. He worked at many Wellington pools including Karori Pool, Thordon Pool, Riddiford Baths in the Hutt, and Naenae Pool. He also swam in the open-air (and gender-segregated) Te Aro Baths before it was replaced by Freyberg Pool in 1963.

Barb was a strong freestyle and butterfly swimmer. She competed in national championships and won the prestigious Annette Kellerman Cup for open water swimming. She trained mainly at Naenae Pool, where her father was the manager, under the coach John Hamilton. She started coaching herself at the age of just 12 and has been coaching more or less ever since. As a solo mum in the 1970s she worked hard to make ends meet and today, as a great-grandmother, she still has a houseful of young people.

Barb's coaching philosophy is about enjoyment, accessibility, and community – she teaches us, and also values what we give to her. She has dedicated decades to teaching and mentoring swimmers of all ages and levels, from newcomers scared of the water to ultramarathoners. She coaches at Kilbirnie (WRAC), Cannons Creek, and Te Ngaengae pools, and at Freyberg Beach on Wednesday and Sunday mornings where she gives us a pep talk, looks after our valuables, and provides jet plane lollies after we get out.

Barb has been recognised for her services to the community but she doesn't like a fuss, so this is a rare interview. Our full conversation lasted for three hours and included people coming and going to have a swim and collect their gear, so this is the abridged version of 1h15. Grab a cuppa and enjoy.

Thanks Barb, for all that you do for us! <3

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Image: Barb handing out jet planes to swimmers at Freyberg Beach. Artwork by Fifi Colston to commemorate Barb's 75th birthday in 2023.

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Dan Feisst is a big part of NZ's swim community – he runs the Ocean Swim Series, the Summer Swim Series, the Beach Series, and Swim Vanuatu. He's also a swim coach in Auckland and owns The Swim Shop, which sells gear for pool and open water swimmers.

In this episode we talk about:

• the upcoming 2025–26 NZ Ocean Swim Series: which events are running around the country and when? There are the classics (such as Rangitoto, Beach to Bay in Russell, Legend of the Lake in Rotorua) and some exciting new ones!
• listening to swimmers' feedback and making adjustments each year – such as introducing a Newbie Tent to support newcomers and nervous swimmers
• the Beach Series and Summer Swim Series including SwimRun events
• Dan's own swimming and career path to retail, coaching and event management; what drives him to run these swim events?
• Dan's annual Swim Vanuatu camp and all the cool places and adventures it entails (I hereby volunteer as Vanuatu podcast correspondent)

• Dan's Swim Shop on Mt Eden Road in Auckland and online

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Support the podcast via ⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠⁠

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Hit 'Follow' so you don't miss an episode.

Thanks for listening! :-)

Lynne Cox is an American open water swimmer who has set records, and brought people together, around the world.

• In 1972 at the age of 15 she broke the men's and women's world records when she swam across the English Channel – and she did it again the following year.
• In 1975 she was the first woman, and fourth person, to swim across New Zealand's Cook Strait (in extremely rough conditions!).
• In 1987 she swam across the Bering Strait between Alaska and Siberia during the Cold War – a swim that Reagan and Gorbachev both acknowledged as helping to bridge the divide between the two nations.
• She was the first person to swim across the Strait of Magellan at the bottom of South America, and also to swim around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
• She swam the first 'ice mile' in Antarctica in 2002.

Lynne chronicles all of these magnificent swims and many others in her memoir 'Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long Distance Swimmer' (2004). She has written a number of other books too, including the children's books 'Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius' and 'Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas', a true story about an elephant seal that lived in Christchurch's Avon River.

Visit Lynne's website to learn more about her swims, her books, and guest speaking appearances.

The photo of Lynne with Saki the seal is courtesy of Lynne Cox.

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Outdoor Swimmer magazine is the world's only monthly, printed magazine about open water or wild swimming (as far as we know!). It was founded by Simon Griffiths in 2011 and October 2025 is the magazine's 100th issue, edited by Ella Foote who has been Outdoor Swimmer's editor since 2022.

Simon and Ella are (unsurprisingly!) very passionate about swimming. They have both written books and accomplished many impressive swims in all sorts of locations. Ella is also a swim coach and provides guided swim experiences through her company, Dip Advisor.

In this episode we discuss the highlights and challenges of publishing a swim magazine that celebrates the fun, joy and connections of swimming outdoors, from dipping to ultramarathons, and which includes safety tips and swim gear advice. We also talk about Simon and Ella's own swimming journeys and the importance of swim communities.

• Visit the Outdoor Swimmer website where you can subscribe to the magazine (they deliver the print version internationally and/or there's a digital option), sign up for their free weekly newsletter The Dip, and read feature articles, gear reviews, and swim tips.
• Simon's book is 'Swim Wild and Free: A Practical Guide to Swimming Outdoors 365 Days a Year.' (Bloomsbury Sport, 2022)
• Ella's book is 'How to Wild Swim: What to Know Before Taking the Plunge.' (DK, 2023)
• Ella's Instagram page
• Outdoor Swimmer's Instagram page




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Support the podcast via ⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠

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Hit 'Follow' so you don't miss an episode.

Thanks for listening! :-)

Dan Abel is a former competitive swimmer, an ultra-marathon swimmer (including the English Channel and Cook Strait), and the founder of swim company Fit & Abel, which offers pool and open water swim coaching, swim safety and accessibility advice, and 'RealSwim Adventures' in NZ's South Island.

With a lifelong history of swimming Dan brings a lot of passion and dedication to his role, with a strong belief in giving people not just technical swim skills but also "environmental confidence" – the ability to enjoy swimming outdoors in nature.

In this episode we talk about:

• Dan's career path including working in the RNZ Air Force, his association with SwimTrek, coaching in a London lido (an unheated outdoor pool), and founding Fit & Abel in 2011.
• The importance of encouragement, communication, and understanding people's reasons for wanting to swim (or why they might be afraid to swim).
• Giving people the ability to swim outdoors, connect with nature, form friendships, and have fun.
• Putting the focus on health and wellbeing – looking after ourselves and other people.
• Avoiding the 'what next?' swim checklist and enjoying the journey.
• The power of the language we use when it comes to swimming.
• Creating a more positive and consistent framework around safe swimming in NZ.
• Advocating for clean waterways.

The books mentioned by Dan: Lynne Cox’s 'Swimming to Antarctica', Terry Laughlin’s 'Total Immersion', 'Plastic Ocean' by Charles Moore, 'A History of Open-Water Marathon Swimming' by Timothy M Johnson, 'Swim Smooth' by Paul Newsome.

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Hit 'Follow' so you don't miss an episode.

Thanks for listening!

Sinéad Kehoe is the founder of Wāhine Wai, a dippers' group in Wellington. In this episode we discuss eight swim books we've enjoyed, two swim songs, and two swim films:

• Lonely Planet's 'The Joy of Wild Swimming', 2023.
• Anna Deacon and Vicky Allan, 'Taking the Plunge: The Healing Power of Wild Swimming for Mind, Body and Soul', 2019, Black & White Publishing.
• Nina Mingya Powles. 'Small Bodies of Water.' 2021, Canongate Books.
• Ingrid Horrocks. 'Where We Swim.' 2021, Te Herenga Waka University Press.
• Annette Lees. 'Swim: a Year of Swimming Outdoors in New Zealand.' 2018, Potton & Burton.
• Julie Otsuka. 'The Swimmers'. 2022, Penguin.
• Tracey Baumann and Emma Levy. 'The Swim Mastery Way.' 2024, InHouse Publishing.
• Lynne Cox. 'Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer.' 2004, Harcourt.
• Louden Wainwright III, 'The Swimming Song'. 1973.
• R.E.M. 'Nightswimming.' 1992.
• 'The Swimmer' (film), 1968.
• 'Kim Swims' (documentary), 2017.

What are your favourite swim books, films, and songs? Let us know by leaving a comment or email [email protected].

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After being diagnosed in 2015 with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), a painful inflammatory arthritic condition, Kylie Frost was advised to move her body to keep mobile. She began exercising multiple times a week, then decided she needed a goal. She started entering triathlons and set her sights on IRONMAN NZ (a 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and 42km run), which she completed in 2021 after six years of building her strength and stamina. The time limit to complete the event was 17 hours and she managed it with 70 seconds to spare, with her support crew cheering her on.

Kylie has since qualified as a triathlon coach and founded the Twisted Sisters Club, which helps beginners to achieve their goals – whether it’s a short swim in the sea or entering their first triathlon. As the website puts it: "Our mission is to empower women through sports, assisting them in overcoming any barriers to reach their objectives ... We all progress at our individual pace, celebrating every victory, regardless of its size."

In this episode Kylie talks about her diagnosis at age 40, her initial search for a coach who was able to support a beginner with a chronic health condition (she found triathlete Tony O’Hagan, who sadly passed away in 2020), her experience of working towards and completing IRONMAN NZ, becoming a coach herself to support a range of abilities, and the founding of the Twisted Sisters Club and what it offers for women who want to take those first steps (or strokes) in the sea.

Twisted Sisters Club website

Twisted Sisters Club Facebook page

NZ Ocean Swim Community Facebook group

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Questions, thoughts or suggestions about the podcast? Email me at [email protected]

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Please support the podcast for free by following or subscribing, and leaving a rating and review. You can also become a Swim Buddy for $5 per month on Patreon for added perks. Find out more on ⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats

Susan Sherwin is one of the founders of IISA (International Ice Swimming Association) Aotearoa New Zealand and runs the annual NZ Ice Swimming Championships . An ice swim needs to be in water that's 5°C (41°F) or less, swum only in togs, goggles, a standard cap, and with optional earplugs.

Susan is an accomplished ice swimmer herself, having completed two 'extreme' ice miles (2km). She is also one of just a handful of people to have achieved NZ's Triple Crown: Lake Taupō in 2020, Raukawa Moana / Cook Strait in 2021, and Te Ara a Kiwa / Foveaux Strait in 2022 at the age of 61. She now has her eye on Australia's Triple Crown – within two weeks this year she completed the Rottnest Channel Swim (20km) in Western Australia and the Derwent River Big Swim (34km) in Tasmania.

In this episode Susan talks about how she returned to swimming in her 40s after having kids, gradually building from a few kilometres to ultramarathons. For her, it's about being in the water, enjoying people and nature, and saying yes to new opportunities.

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Questions, thoughts or suggestions about the podcast? Email me at [email protected]

Follow Swim Chats on Instagram

Please support the podcast for free by following or subscribing, and leaving a rating and review. You can also become a Swim Buddy for $5 per month on Patreon for added perks. Find out more on Patreon.com/SwimChats

It’s a swim literature episode! Featuring John Hancock, who told us the colourful life story of Sir Bernard Freyberg and his wartime swim.

This time John and Shona talk about:

• The “mad, bad and dangerous to know” poet Lord Byron’s 1810 swim across the Dardanelles (formerly the Hellespont, between Europe and Asia). Lord Byron was inspired by the ancient Greek myth of Leander, who swam across the same body of water to his lover Hero’s lantern-lit tower each night. Byron recounted his swim triumph in his poem ‘Don Juan’. 

• The Old English poem Beowulf, whose protagonist spent a week in the freezing Scandinavian ocean, first competing with his childhood friend Breca and then fighting off ‘sea monsters’. 

• Much more recently, British writer Roger Deakin’s series of swims across Britain, captured in his beautiful book Waterlog (1999). Deakin is considered by many to be the founding father of the modern ‘wild swimming’ movement. 

John and Shona do some readings from the texts above (extra points to John for managing some Old English). John also talks about the book Haunts of the Black Masseur: the Swimmer as Hero by Charles Sprawson (1992).

We’re keen to know what you think of this episode! Leave a comment or email swimchatswithshona at gmail dot com. 

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In the introduction Shona talks about Ben Knight, a Wellington ocean advocate and protector who sadly passed away this month. Over the years Ben worked with Mountains to Sea Wellington and Sustainable Coastlines, which posted a lovely tribute to Ben on Facebook with some conservation figures that demonstrate his incredible legacy. Thank you, Ben. You have inspired many of us.

Dr Heather Massey is an open water swimmer, a scientist, and a senior lecturer at the University of Portsmouth in the UK. As part of her job she researches the physiological effects of cold water, as well as the risks and potential benefits of cold water swimming. 

What happens to our body when we get into cold water? What’s the 'cold shock response' and what is 'afterdrop'? Who benefits from cold water, how, and why? How do people survive ‘ice swimming’, including in Antarctica? But most importantly, how can people get into cold water and return home safely? 

Heather’s advice includes:

• Have a plan for where you’re getting in and out of the water
• Don’t swim/dip/plunge alone
• ‘Claw hands’ (stiffness) or loss of coordination are signs that you need to get out asap
• Warm up quickly with snug clothes and a jacket, a hot drink, and wait a bit before you head home. Cold temperatures can cause a lack of coordination and concentration that may affect biking or driving.

Learn more about Heather’s research (and the Extreme Environments Laboratory) on the University of Portsmouth website

'Wild swimming scientist Heather Massey: "Hypothermia is not a pretty sight"'. Guardian article, June 2021

The Outdoor Swimming Society website

Water Safety NZ – 'Staying safe'

Photo of Heather by Terry Scott