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Swim Chats
Swim Chats
Shona Riddell

Swim Chats

SwimmingEnglish
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.

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Episodes

The rise of SwimRun: swimming and running outdoor adventures (featuring John Hancock)
02 September 2026

The rise of SwimRun: swimming and running outdoor adventures (featuring John Hancock)

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...
Gráinne Moss on her 39-year swim journey through the Oceans Seven
19 August 2026

Gráinne Moss on her 39-year swim journey through the Oceans Seven

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...
Swim smarter, not harder with SwimMastery coach Tracey Baumann
03 August 2026

Swim smarter, not harder with SwimMastery coach Tracey Baumann

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,...
'Wet July' with the Scarborough Dippers and their cold-water community
26 July 2026

'Wet July' with the Scarborough Dippers and their cold-water community

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...
Squad coach and gym owner Timon Wilkinson on making lessons fun for kids and adults
15 July 2026

Squad coach and gym owner Timon Wilkinson on making lessons fun for kids and adults

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...
Diving into the world of sea sponges with Professor James Bell
01 July 2026

Diving into the world of sea sponges with Professor James Bell

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...
Corrina Connor on swimming NZ's Triple Crown, extreme ice miles, and having fun in inhospitable conditions
25 June 2026

Corrina Connor on swimming NZ's Triple Crown, extreme ice miles, and having fun in inhospitable conditions

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...
Ruby Fresh's Eddie Spearing on designing wetsuits, running the Ruby swim, and the joys of Lake Wānaka
18 June 2026

Ruby Fresh's Eddie Spearing on designing wetsuits, running the Ruby swim, and the joys of Lake Wānaka

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 and sea poems with special guest Sinéad Kehoe
26 May 2026

Swimming and sea poems with special guest Sinéad Kehoe

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...
Mountains to Sea Wellington’s Zoe Studd on the joys, challenges and possibilities of connecting people with the water
21 May 2026

Mountains to Sea Wellington’s Zoe Studd on the joys, challenges and possibilities of connecting people with the water

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...