Loading...

PODCAST

Swim Chats

Every swimmer has a story to tell. Writer and swimmer Shona Riddell chats to marathon swimmers, dippers, coaches, ocean experts, and more. Whether you’re a swimmer yourself, or just interested in stories about the sea and people expanding their comfort zones, you"ll enjoy these swim chats. Please hit the "Follow" button so you don’t miss an episode, leave a star rating, and share with friends. Enjoying the podcast? Support it on patreon.com/swimchats, or buy me a coffee via

sports swimming

All Episodes

00:38:02

From fear of the water to swim coaching, with Benoit...

Swim Chats ·

2026/10/04

Benoit (Ben) Lavigne is a Wellington swim coach. Through his company, Outpace Swimming, he offers private coaching, swim squads, video analysis, clinics, open water training, and swim camps. Ben is also the Head Coach at Tawa Swim Club and was selected as a coach for Swimming New Zealand's Under 19 Team at the 2026 Tri Series in Western Australia.In this episode, Ben talks about his coaching method, offers technique advice, and shares his own swim journey – from a small child in France who was

en

00:28:14

Introducing NZ's new freshwater swim festival

Swim Chats ·

2026/09/20

What: Ignite Freshwater Swim FestWhere: Lake Pupuke / Pupukemoana, AucklandWhen: February 13–14, 2027Scott Rice is back on Swim Chats this month to talk about a brand-new swim event coming next summer: the Ignite Freshwater Swim Fest! It will be a fun weekend for the whole family in February, offering a range of swim distances to suit all abilities (250m to 10km), live music, food stalls, the first NZ Doggy Swim Champs (a 100m swim with your pawsome pal), a 4x500m relay, three national swim

en

00:30:19

How to save a swimming pool: the Aquadome story

Swim Chats ·

2026/09/13

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

en

00:49:06

The rise of SwimRun: swimming and running outdoor...

Swim Chats ·

2026/09/02

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

en

01:12:37

Gráinne Moss on her 39-year swim journey through the...

Swim Chats ·

2026/08/19

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

en

01:05:20

Swim smarter, not harder with SwimMastery coach...

Swim Chats ·

2026/08/03

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

en

00:26:30

'Wet July' with the Scarborough Dippers and their...

Swim Chats ·

2026/07/26

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

en

00:58:15

Squad coach and gym owner Timon Wilkinson on making...

Swim Chats ·

2026/07/15

Timon Wilkinson is the co-owner of Bonobos gym for kids and adults in Wellington and runs weekly Bonobos Swim Squads at Freyberg, WRAC, Te Ngaengae, and Te Huia Pools. Timon was a competitive swimmer from nine to 15 and started coaching kids while he was at university. He worked at the old TSW Pool until it closed in 2017, and then for Capital Swim Club. In 2017 he co-founded the fun and friendly Bonobos gym in Lyall Bay for kids and adults (including Strength, Mobility, and Balance classes – great

en

00:53:25

Diving into the world of sea sponges with Professor...

Swim Chats ·

2026/07/01

James Bell is a Professor of Marine Biology at Victoria University of Wellington – Te Herenga Waka, and a huge fan of sea sponges. Check out his colourful underwater photos and videos on his Instagram page, ⁠@sponge_ecology⁠, where he has over 40,000 followers. James has scuba dived around the world researching this ancient, vibrant, intriguing, but sometimes overlooked marine species. (We both agree that charismatic megafauna – e.g. dolphins, whales, sharks – often get a disproportionate amount of

en

01:23:44

Corrina Connor on swimming NZ's Triple Crown, extreme...

Swim Chats ·

2026/06/25

Corrina Connor is a Wellington ultramarathon swimmer, ice swimmer, musician, and the MC of Wellington's popular Sea Panels at Te Matapihi central library.In this episode we talk about Corrina's swim journey from a teenager at the pool to setting 20km+ targets in the open water. She swam across the Cook Strait (Te Moana-o-Raukawa) in December 2021, after a thwarted first go in March of the same year. She swam Foveaux Strait (Te Ara a Kiwa) in 2023 and Lake Taupō in 2024. She also completed a

en

00:55:30

Ruby Fresh's Eddie Spearing on designing wetsuits,...

Swim Chats ·

2026/06/18

At the time of recording, Eddie was recovering from a mountain biking accident so we talk about that at the start of the episode. All the best with your recovery, Eddie!Eddie Spearing lives in Wānaka on New Zealand's South Island, and is the founder of Ruby Fresh, a wetsuit that was designed (by Eddie) for freshwater swimming – he's since grown the business and now also sells wetsuits for ocean swimming. Eddie is the co-organiser of the hugely popular Ruby Island Swim event, which is held

en

00:44:27

Swimming and sea poems with special guest Sinéad Kehoe

Swim Chats ·

2026/05/26

Poetry captures the sensory delights and desires (and sometimes death and despair) of swimming and the allure of open water. In this episode, returning guest Sinéad Kehoe and I take turns reading some of our favourite swim poems, mostly organised by theme, location, or general vibe. Mermaids, grottos, drowning, thrashing waves, darting fish, and naked swims are all captured in these verses. We also got inspired and penned a couple of our own poems! There are no deep dives or literary deconstructions

en

00:48:26

Mountains to Sea Wellington’s Zoe Studd on the joys,...

Swim Chats ·

2026/05/21

Zoe Studd is the co-founder and ‘Chief Enthusiasm Officer’ of Mountains to Sea Wellington and the Project Lead of Love Rimurimu. She helps people of all ages to connect with marine and freshwater environments, and leads marine restoration projects. She’s full of ideas and energy, supported by an incredible team of staff and volunteers. On the MTSW website it says: ‘From experience comes joy, and from joy comes connection’ and I think we can all agree with that! In this episode we talk about how MTSW

en

00:59:42

‘Jump In’ author Nicola McCloy on NZ’s best swimming...

Swim Chats ·

2026/05/08

NZ author Nicola McCloy’s new book ‘Jump In: An Insider’s Guide to New Zealand’s Best Beaches, Lakes, Rivers, Pools and Hot Springs’ was published in late 2025, with stunning photos and tips on the best places to swim. Writing the book involved plenty of personal research as Nicola trekked around the country to experience some of NZ’s most beautiful and epic (but also accessible) swim locations. With support and advice from local communities, Nicola’s swim journey was full of wonderful and

en

00:43:17

RE-RELEASE – Sir Bernard Freyberg's heroic wartime...

Swim Chats ·

2026/04/22

This episode was originally released on 11/04/25.Our first 'swim history' episode! Featuring special guest John Hancock, a marathon swimmer and the organiser of this year's ANZAC Day swim in Wellington. In this episode John tells the story of the brave, accomplished, and fascinating Sir Bernard Freyberg who painted himself in black and undertook a stealthy nighttime swim in Gallipoli during World War One. We also discuss a few other notable swimmers in history: John F Kennedy, Kahe

en

00:40:04

Triple Crown swimmer Wen Erh Hsu on the importance of...

Swim Chats ·

2026/04/13

Wen Erh Hsu completed the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming (English Channel, Catalina Channel and 20 Bridges in Manhattan) within one season in 2024. She is the first Taiwanese person to swim solo across the English Channel and her Facebook page ‘Wen’s Swimming Club’ has more than 10,000 followers.On this episode Wen talks about her journey from pool swimmer in Taiwan to ultramarathon training in the UK, as well as the importance of staying positive during challenging swims – such as when the

en

00:58:28

Seti Afoa on running Samoa Events, learning to swim,...

Swim Chats ·

2026/04/06

Seti Afoa is the Director of Samoa Events, a swim business that offers tours, events, and retreats in Moananui (the Pacific Ocean). Seti was born in Samoa, in a coastal village on the island of Upolu. As was common for Samoan kids of his generation, swimming out of his depth was not encouraged. His family moved to South Auckland when he was about 13 and as an adult he began visiting swimming pools with his wife. He joined a pool squad, then ventured into the open water in Kohimarama. Gradually

en

00:51:04

Kate Wareham on learning to swim with epilepsy

Swim Chats ·

2026/03/25

This episode was published on March 26 to coincide with Epilepsy Awareness Day (#PurpleDay).Kate Wareham is a Wellington pool and open water swimmer, the CEO of Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA), and last year she was diagnosed with epilepsy, a neurological condition that can cause recurring, unprovoked seizures.Kate experienced her first seizure in 2025 while in Italy on holiday with her family, a day or two after completing a lake swim event. Since her diagnosis she has been learning to navigate life

en

00:59:14

Dr Abi Lafbery on wild swimming, waterways, and how...

Swim Chats ·

2026/03/18

Dr Abi Lafbery has a PhD in outdoor swimming from Lancaster University in the UK. Her thesis focussed on the health, thoughts, experiences and behaviours of wild/open water swimmers, the health of the water they swim in, and swimmers’ impacts on waterways. For almost five years she was researching and writing about swimming, flora and fauna, pollution, and climate.In this episode we talk about Abi’s own swimming in Cornwall, the Lake District, and on the wild, post-industrial coast of North West

en

00:58:36

2.4 Coach Dougal Dunlop on founding the Washing...

Swim Chats ·

2026/03/05

Dougal Dunlop is one of Wellington's swim legends and has been swimming and coaching for over 50 years. Now in his 70s, he continues to coach at Freyberg Pool and swims at Oriental Bay all year round – most mornings he'll be in the water at 6:46am (ish). A back injury led to Dougal swimming regularly in the ocean and he founded the Washing Machines, a hardy group of open water enthusiasts including ultramarathoners and ice swimmers. Dougal updates the group (of over 200 members) via WhatsApp

en

56 results

Similar Podcasts

The GIST of It

The GIST of It

Dynasty Fantasy Football - Under The Helmet

Chad Parsons, Bleav

Overtime with Matt Moscona

Guaranty Broadcasting Company

Tha Boxing Voice

ThaBoxingvoice Radio

Yahoo Fantasy Forecast with Matt Harmon

Yahoo Sports