Swim Chats

When Wellington’s school pools began disappearing, Steve Hind decided to do something about it. The result was the Aquadome⁠ a thriving community swimming facility that opened in 2018.
In 2009, Steve noticed a decline in the number of school pools in the region. Both of his daughters attended Wellington East Girls’ College and there was an unused pool on the grounds. The council pools were busy at peak times, so Steve and Gary Hurring, a former NZ swim champion, decided to restore the college pool.
As Steve explains: “It felt like everything just came together. It became obvious to us that we should get it heated, get it covered – at the time it was just a hole in the ground. We set off with very naive ideas of the cost … we pitched it to the school originally as $200,000 but in the end it was over $1.5 million.”
The restored, indoor Aquadome opened in 2018 with a warm-water training pool and a 25m heated lap pool with six lanes, as well as new changing rooms and showers. The Wellington Swim Trust oversees the pool to keep it running and it's used by several primary schools, local colleges, and community groups. 
In this episode Steve explains what compelled him and Gary to take on this massive project, how they raised the money (there was an unexpected donation of UHT milk), how the Trust keeps the pool running, and why it’s so important for kids to have accessible spaces to learn to swim and train for events.
Steve’s daughter Tash was a double Olympian and Commonwealth Games medallist, while his daughter Georgia has represented NZ in open water swimming and surf lifesaving – both have worked as swim coaches at the Aquadome. 
Visit the Swim Trust website for more information about the Aquadome.
Photo: The Aquadome indoor swimming pool in Wellington (Steve Hind)
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SwimRun events involve a consecutive series of swims and runs, with no stops or gear changes. You can be tethered to another person, or do it solo. The swims are open water and the runs are on trails, across islands or around bays and headlands.
Returning guest John Hancock is an avid SwimRunner and has participated in several events around the world, including in Sweden (the home of SwimRun) and Australia. He's also created the Facebook group NZ SwimRun for the local SwimRun community, with tips and articles.
In this episode, John explains:
How SwimRun got started and how it's evolved into a series of popular events around the world
The gear and swim aids used by SwimRunners (some necessary, most optional) including short wetsuits, vests, running shoes, neoprene socks, a tether and belt, paddles and pull buoys
The logistics involved in swimming then running then swimming then running
The NZ Amphibian SwimRun event happening in April 2027 (two distance options) in the Bay of Islands
The popularity of SwimRun Australia and its events in Sydney and Melbourne
Why any swimmer would consider running (a genuine if slightly facetious question from me)

Have you tried SwimRunning? Get in touch or leave a comment on the Swim Chats Insta page.
Photo: John and his friend Marina completing the original Õtillö SwimRun in Sweden this year.
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Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠StokedNZ⁠⁠⁠⁠ for your towelies and get 15% off with the discount code SWIMCHATS
Enjoy the podcast? Buy me a coffee via https://ko-fi.com/swimchats
Become a Swim Buddy via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Congratulations to Gráinne on her Oceans Seven!!!!
Gráinne Moss is an ultramarathon swimmer from Wellington, New Zealand who recently completed the Oceans Seven, a series of gruelling swims around the globe. It's been a 39-year odyssey for Gráinne, who swam the English Channel in 1987 at just 17 years old and completed her seventh swim in June this year at the age of 56. Gráinne swims under her Irish passport and is the first Irish woman (and 45th person) to complete all seven swims!
In this episode Gráinne (pronounced Gron-ya) shares stories from all seven swims, including swimming across the choppy English Channel as a teen in the 1980s; a "very, very large" shark encounter in the Cook Strait; battling 12-degree water and lion's mane jellies in the North Channel; the 42km 'Channel of Bones' in Hawai'i; and the thrill of completing the Oceans Seven in her mid-50s. We also talk about the swims that took more than one attempt and how they were learning opportunities that led to future rewards, and the ongoing support of her friends, family, and the wider swim community.
Gráinne's Oceans Seven
English Channel – 3 August 1987 – 11 hours 52 minutes
Cook Strait – 6 March 2001 – 12 hours 25 minutes
North Channel – 22 July 2022 – 13 hours 33 minutes
Moloka'i Channel – 12 May 2023 – 15 hours 7 minutes
Catalina Channel – 7 July 2023 – 11 hours 22 minutes
Straits of Gibraltar – 22 May 2024 – 4 hours and 23 minutes
Tsugaru Strait – 19 June 2026 – 12 hours and 29 minutes
Visit Gráinne's blog grainnemoss.com for detailed accounts of her swims and follow her @swimirishkiwi on Instagram (or Facebook).
Visit Kenziesgift.com to learn more about Gráinne's fundraising. Kenzie's Gift supports children and young adults who need grief or mental health support when a parent or sibling has died or has a serious illness.
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Support the podcast via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Tracey Baumann is the co-founder and head coach at SwimMastery, which uses evidence-based methods to teach the correct, connected body position in the water – helping us to swim smoother and faster, with more joy and less struggle.
Tracey has 30 years of coaching experience, teaching beginners and ultramarathoners around the world. In this episode she shares advice on improving your technique, overcoming mental barriers, preventing swim injuries, breath management, and optimising your performance no matter what age or swim level you are.
Tracey is based in Brisbane, Australia. She offers virtual coaching and video analysis, runs clinics and open water swim camps, and coaches in an endless pool at the SwimMastery Swim Studio. I have personally found her coaching to be incredibly beneficial for my swimming.
Find out more about SwimMastery: swimmasteryinternational.com
Buy Tracey's The Swim Mastery Way book on Amazon
Follow SwimMastery on Instagram
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Visit ⁠⁠StokedNZ⁠⁠ for your towelies and get 15% off with the discount code SWIMCHATS
Support the podcast via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Contact me at swimchatswithshona at gmail dot com
Hit 'Follow' so you don't miss an episode.
Thanks for listening! :-)

The Scarborough Dippers began with a bet between four friends in a coffee shop on a winter's day: who would take the plunge into the cold sea? Ten years later, the group now has dozens of year-round dippers who meet at 7am at Scarborough Beach in Christchurch.
The group also runs Wet July, an annual campaign to raise funds for local organisations including kindys, lifesaving clubs, and conservation groups. Members pledge to get in the sea every day of the month and the dippers often raise over $10,000. They also host a mid-winter community swim and a quiz night. Their bank details are Scarborough Dippers 01-0811-0814833-00 if you want to chip in!
Founding member Sandra Taylor came on the podcast to talk about how the group got started, their annual fundraising, the importance of a ‘Bucket of Joy’, and the support and connections that have formed from the fun and buzz of ocean dipping. As Sandra explains: “There’s no rules, no cost, no expectations, just a kind and lovely group of people that have all gathered around a love of dipping.”
Visit the Scarborough Dippers public page on Facebook to follow along (new dippers and visitors are welcome – there are daily dippers and their biggest turnout tends to be on Fridays).
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Visit ⁠StokedNZ⁠ for your towelies and get 15% off with the discount code SWIMCHATS
Support the podcast via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Swim Chats on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Contact me at swimchatswithshona at gmail dot com
Hit 'Follow' so you don't miss an episode.
Thanks for listening! :-)