Swim Chats

• Books (and songs and films) about swimming with special guest Sinéad Kehoe

  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]. Follow Swim Chats on Instagram, or support the podcast and become a Swim Buddy via Patreon.com/swimchats

  --------  

  54:44

  --------

  54:44
• Kylie Frost on creating the Twisted Sisters Club, training for triathlons after a chronic health diagnosis, and helping women enjoy the sea

  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 websiteTwisted Sisters Club Facebook pageNZ Ocean Swim Community Facebook group*Questions, thoughts or suggestions about the podcast? Email me at [email protected]⁠Follow Swim Chats on Instagram⁠Please 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

  --------  

  48:41

  --------

  48:41
• Susan Sherwen on ice swimming, Triple Crown ultramarathon swims, and taking it one swim at a time

  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.* Questions, thoughts or suggestions about the podcast? Email me at [email protected] Swim Chats on InstagramPlease 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

  --------  

  55:04

  --------

  55:04
• Swimming with Leander, Lord Byron, Beowulf and around Britain with special guest John Hancock

  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. *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.

  --------  

  45:40

  --------

  45:40
• Dr Heather Massey on the joys, dangers, and discoveries of cold water swimming

  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 waterDon’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 2021The Outdoor Swimming Society website Water Safety NZ – 'Staying safe' Photo of Heather by Terry Scott

  --------  

  1:01:24

  --------

  1:01:24

More Sports podcasts

Trending Sports podcasts

About Swim Chats