Where extraordinary people share their stories.

Kerianne Brownlie is a nurse, a marathon swimmer, and one of the newest people to swim the Cook Strait. We talk about how she trained for open water swims using pools near her home, how the swimming community shaped her journey, and the role her partner played in supporting her goals. We also explore the powerful connection between her nursing work and the mental resilience needed for endurance swims. She’s living proof that you don’t have to choose between a meaningful job and an epic life.

In Part 2 of my conversation with Corrina Connor, we pick up after her first attempt to swim the Cook Strait. She opens up about what came next, what it took mentally, emotionally, and physically to return to the water after falling short. We talk about resilience, pacing, mindset, and what it really means to try again on your own terms. This is a story about endurance, but not just in the ocean.

In this episode of Swimming the Strait, I talk with Corrina Connor, marathon swimmer, librarian, and cellist, about her first attempt to swim the Cook Strait. This is the first of a two-part conversation where we explore what it means to show up for something big, face the unexpected, and keep moving forward.

What does it take to push past your limits and take on the world’s toughest open-water swims? In this episode of Swimming the Strait, I sit down with Caitlin O’Reilly, who, at the time of our conversation, was on her journey to completing the Ocean’s Seven, one of the most grueling endurance challenges in open-water swimming. Since then, she has made history as the youngest person ever to complete it.

Joining us is Rebecca Hollingsworth, an ultra marathon swimmer whose impressive resume includes some of the most challenging swims in the world.

Today’s guest studies the Ocean for a living, he has spent half of his life traveling the world to do so an, has dunked himself into almost frozen water in the coldest place on Earth.

Adriana Milne and how to go from 1 km swim to 17.5 km in 2 years

Casey Glover shares with us his love for the Ocean, how to train to cross the Cook Strait and life beyond swimming.

Gráinne Moss shares with us her learnings from swimming since the age of 5. We will chat about "having fun" in freezing water, resuming swimming after a few years gap, new challenges and a very interesting encounter in the Cook Strait.

Victoria Pinarello shares with us how to prepare for a 40.2 km swimming event; we discuss about mental strength, training, sleeping and very special high carb diet.

Philip Rush shares with us the knowledge acquired over many years of cold water, long distance swimming. From swimming over 6 hours in 6 degrees to guiding people across Cook Strait, New Zealand.

Dougal Dunlop shares swimming adventures with us; teaching, competing and creating a community of swimmers that challenge every day the Wellington weather to enjoy the wonders of open water swimming.