SwimScape - the podcast

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For this episode of the SwimScape Podcast, we sit down with Andrew Mackay, founder and Head Coach of Auckland-based Boost Coaching.
Andrew’s own journey in endurance sport started in the swimming pool. A competitive swimmer at national level as a youngster, he eventually made the transition into triathlon — going on to race professionally between 2006 and 2009 and ultimately lining up in the professional field at the 2009 Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.
But perhaps the most interesting part of Andrew's story isn't what he achieved as a professional athlete.
It's what he has learned since.
Today, Andrew coaches a wide range of athletes — from people taking on their first endurance event through to experienced Ironman and triathlon competitors. And as a father of two boys, he understands the reality of trying to train seriously while also being a parent, running a business and managing everything else that life throws at you.
His philosophy is refreshingly realistic: there isn't a perfect work-life-training balance. The balance changes.
Sometimes training gets priority. Sometimes work does. Sometimes family has to come first. And sometimes you simply have to accept that you're not superhuman.
That philosophy seems to sit at the heart of what Andrew does at Boost Coaching - helping athletes build effective training around their actual lives, rather than expecting their lives to revolve entirely around training.
And then there's swimming...
Andrew has developed "The Seven Secrets to Swimming Success", a resource aimed at helping swimmers and triathletes understand why they may be struggling in the water and, more importantly, what they can do about it.
In this episode, we'll unpack those seven secrets, including:
1. There is a LOT going on in a swim stroke
Understanding the sequence of movement and breaking technique down into manageable pieces.
2. Cause and effect matters
Why fixing one part of your stroke often requires looking at something else happening earlier in the movement.
3. Swimming is dynamic
Why drills are useful, but ultimately swimming needs to become a continuous, rhythmic and flowing movement.
4. Tension kills technique
Learning the difference between swimming hard and swimming efficiently.
5. Adults can relearn coordination
Why many adult swimmers overthink the process — and how patience, repetition and the right drills can make a huge difference.
6. Breathing isn't optional — but panic is
Finding a relaxed breathing rhythm and developing confidence in the water.
7. Your feet matter
Understanding the role of kicking, body position, rotation and the kinetic chain in creating an efficient freestyle stroke.
These principles are part of the swimming philosophy Andrew applies through Boost Coaching, alongside structured training, accountability and a personalised approach to the individual athlete.
From national-level swimmer, to professional triathlete, to Ironman World Championship competitor, to coach and father of two.  This is about much more than getting faster in the water.  It’s about figuring out how to keep moving forward when real life is happening around you.

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Welcome back to the SwimScape Podcast, where we dive deep into the stories behind New Zealand’s most inspiring open water swimmers, adventurers, and endurance athletes.
Today’s guest is someone who perfectly embodies what this podcast is all about -grit, curiosity, humility, and an incredible love of the water. Jemimah Mcilroy is a Dunedin-based marathon swimmer and university student who has already achieved more than most swimmers do in a lifetime.
She’s completed an extraordinary challenge by swimming around all nine islands of Dunedin, she’s immersed herself in the world of cold-water swimming, and she’s now training for one of New Zealand’s ultimate endurance tests - the Cook Strait crossing. If you’ve seen her Instagram, you’ll know she seems to spend more time in cold water than most people spend in a warm shower.
Jem is the oldest of five kids, she’s one of those genuinely kind people who makes everyone around her feel welcome, and underneath that friendly smile is someone who is absolutely tough as nails. She has a remarkable ability to keep showing up, day after day, in conditions that would send most of us straight back to shore.
In this episode, we talk about marathon swimming, cold-water mastery, mental resilience, balancing university life with elite-level training, and what it really takes to prepare for Cook Strait.
So grab a coffee, jump in the car, or better yet, head out for a swim—and please enjoy this conversation with the incredibly inspiring Jemimah McIlroy.

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Today on SwimScape The Podcast, we’re joined by one of the most impressive young endurance swimmers in New Zealand — Quinn Boyle from Tauranga.
Despite being early in his swimming journey compared with many marathon swimmers, Quinn has already built a résumé that most open water athletes would envy. He’s completed an Ice Mile, represented New Zealand at the Ice Swimming World Championships, conquered Cook Strait, and even taken on the brutal challenge of a 24-hour pool swim — and that’s just scratching the surface.
What makes Quinn’s story so compelling isn’t just the swims themselves, but the perspective he brings as a young athlete navigating a sport that often attracts competitors decades older than him. We’ll talk about what drives him, how he balances university life with elite endurance swimming, and what it’s like pursuing big hairy audacious goals while most of your peers are focused on completely different things.
We’ll also dive into the role his family has played in supporting and sharing the journey, because behind many great marathon swims is a great support crew, and Quinn’s is no exception.
This is a conversation about ambition, resilience, discipline, and what the future of open water swimming in New Zealand might look like through the eyes of the next generation.
Cool chat.

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Today on SwimScape we are heading to Rotorua to meet a swimmer whose journey is a perfect reminder that sometimes the biggest adventures start by reconnecting with something you loved as a kid.  Glyn Eason grew up with swimming in his blood. As a young swimmer, he competed seriously and developed the discipline, resilience, and love for the water that only comes from years spent chasing the black line.
But like many swimmers, life moved on… until the ocean called him back.
Fast forward to today, and Glyn has rediscovered that competitive fire — taking on some of New Zealand’s toughest open-water challenges. He joined SwimScape for the Taniwha Origin Series, pushing himself through some unique and demanding swims that tested not just his fitness, but his mindset and his ability to embrace the unknown.
Prior to that he had achieved one of the ultimate milestones in marathon swimming — completing the mighty Cook Strait crossing — and now he has his sights firmly set on one of the greatest challenges in our sport: the English Channel.
Glyn’s story is about more than kilometres swum. It’s about coming back to yourself, proving that age is no barrier, and showing that the dreams we have as kids can still be waiting for us decades later.

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Scott Rice is a former New Zealand representative swimmer who represented New Zealand at the 1995 World University Games and the 1999 Pan Pacific Championships, before going on to found the New Zealand Ocean Swim Series, Ocean Swim Fiji, and the Manu World Champs. 
But Scott is much more than an event organiser. He's a familiar voice on the microphone as one of New Zealand's leading swimming commentators, a passionate advocate for the sport, a proud dad, and someone who genuinely loves showcasing the very best of Aotearoa and the Pacific.
In this episode we talk about his journey from competitive swimmer to entrepreneur, the highs and challenges of building world-class events, why community matters just as much as competition, and what continues to motivate him after more than two decades dedicated to swimming.
Whether you've swum one of his events, perfected your own manu off the local wharf, or simply love hearing stories from people who have built something special from their passion, you're going to enjoy this conversation.
This is the story of Scott Rice.