Swim Chats

• Phil Rush on his record-breaking swims and coaching the next generations

  What a privilege to spend an hour talking to Phil Rush, a coaching and swimming legend. Here are just some of his open water swim achievements:Record holder for the fastest double and triple English Channel crossings (his triple crossing was 28h 21m, 140km, in 1987)Record holder for the fastest double Cook Strait crossings (only one other person has achieved a double)The first person to complete a double crossing of Lake Taupō (in 1985)10 English Channel crossings and 8 Cook Strait crossingsIn this episode we talk about how endurance swimming has changed over the years, the importance of mental as well as physical training, monitoring swimmers for hypothermia, working as a team to help people achieve their swim goals, how he swam for more than 24 hours, that crucial final stage of a marathon swim, the buzz of getting swimmers to the other side, and much more. Follow Phil on InstagramThoughts on this episode? Leave a comment or contact me at swimchatswithshona at gmail dot com.Enjoyed it? Share it with a friend, leave a rating and review, and hit subscribe/follow so you don't miss an episode. Thanks for listening!

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• Kate Camp on her Matariki swim series, sea poetry, and how swimming can be the destination

  Kate Camp is a poet, author, and ocean swimmer. She's also the organiser of the annual '9 Bays of Matariki' winter swims and the '12 Bays of Christmas' summer swims. In this episode Kate talks about when and how she started sea swimming, the art of quickly changing out of wet togs into warm clothes, and the importance of the swim community. She also reads a poem called 'Freyberg Carpark' – featuring Graham from episode 10! – from her new book, 'Makeshift Seasons' (Te Herenga Waka University Press, 2025).Follow the Matariki swims (or come if you're in Wellington) via the Facebook event pageBuy a copy of Makeshift Seasons from Unity BooksRead Kate's article 'Why I won't write about swimming' on The Spinoff Author photo by Ebony Lamb*This month you can sponsor Shona for The Big Swim (Coastguard NZ fundraiser) : bigswim.org.nz/s-riddellSend any thoughts, suggestions, praise, feedback etc. to swimchatswithshona at gmail dot com or leave a comment. Remember to follow or subscribe to the podcast (it's free) so you don't miss an episode. Thanks for listening!

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• James Groombridge on Coastguard NZ and The Big Swim

  Coastguard NZ rescues thousands of Kiwis a year and relies on the dedication of its volunteers, who require training and equipment to save lives on the water.Wellington president of Coastguard NZ (and surf lifesaver) James Groombridge talks about The Big Swim, a month-long fundraiser involving swimmers of all ages and abilities. If you're not swimming, you can sponsor a swimmer!Shona's Big Swim page is bigswim.org.nz/s-riddell. Please sponsor me if you can – all funds go to Coastguard NZ.I'm part of The Tridents and together we're swimming 100km – visit our team page: bigswim.org.nz/the-tridentsLearn more about The Big SwimLearn more about Coastguard NZVisit Volunteering NZ to search volunteer roles around NZ

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• Ann Skelly on painting the sea, mermaid tails, and the many moods of the ocean

  Ann Skelly is a Waiheke Island artist who creates beautiful seascapes and landscapes that feature the ocean in all its varying moods: dappled and rippled in the sun, fierce and churning, blue and inviting. Shona talked to Ann at the 2025 NZ Art Show, which runs annually in Wellington over King's Birthday weekend.NZ Art Show websiteAnn Skelly on InstagramAnn Skelly on Facebook *In June Shona is taking part in Coastguard NZ's The Big Swim – follow and support The Tridents!

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• Nicole Miller on filming underwater forests, her new seaweed documentary, and championing our oceans

  Dr Nicole Miller is a Wellington scuba diver who cares deeply about our underwater kelp forests and marine life. She's the Chair of the Friends of Taputeranga Marine Reserve Trust, the former President of Wellington Underwater Club, and the founder of Explore Your Coast, with the goal of filming 70km of Wellington Harbour, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, and documenting changes to our coastal ecosystems.In this marine conservation episode we talk about giant kelp, octopuses, creative ways of showing people what's below the surface to raise awareness, protecting what we love, and Nicole's new documentary called Seaweed, a Love Story. Watch the trailer for Seaweed, a Love Story and keep up to date with the latest news and events. Nicole is also looking for partners and sponsors to bring the film to different parts of NZ. To find out more, contact her at [email protected] Explore Your Coast for more about Nicole's project to film and document 70km of Wellington's coastline. Visit Taputeranga Marine Reserve on Wellington's South Coast.Watch a video about kina/sea urchin grazing in Wellington Harbour (2021 and 2022 comparisons), then learn about kelp forest recovery after kina removal and community action. Watch Nicole's TedxWellington talk (2024).

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