JONO RIDLER
Driven by curiosity. Committed to change.
THE
STORY
For more than fifteen years, I've deliberately pursued increasingly demanding challenges - from leading in high-pressure commercial environments to becoming the first person to swim the length of New Zealand's North Island.
Those experiences weren't about collecting achievements. They were an opportunity to test the limits of human potential.
The curiosity to understand physical and mental limitations has led me to undertaking world-first expeditions that have pushed the barriers of endurance in one of the most unpredictable environments on the planet - the ocean.
Over time, that curiosity has been paired with a deep drive to protect our oceans and help others discover what they're capable of.
Today, my work is focused on exploring what we're capable of when we're tested - and how we can build the capacity to perform when the pressure is on.
The lessons I've learned aren't confined to the ocean, and they aren't just about physical endurance. They're about preparing well, responding deliberately when circumstances change, and continuing to move forward when things become difficult.
I've seen time and again that extraordinary performance isn't built in moments of comfort. It's built through the habits, perspectives and foundations we develop long before we're tested.
Whether I'm speaking on stage, writing, or leading ocean initiatives, my goal is the same: to help people discover they're capable of far more than they realise - and to use that capability to create meaningful change.
THE JOURNEY
In my early twenties, I stumbled into open-water swimming in what would become an unlikely passion. I was introduced to the sport through my first ocean swimming event. It was three kilometres of pain, fear, anxiety, relief and joy that made me feel unbelievably alive and set me on a collision course with fate.
A few years later, I completed my first marathon swim. I near crawled out of the water at the finish line, but I had an almost overwhelming sense of confidence; the kind that comes from achieving something you once thought impossible.
Three weeks later, spurred on by that achievement and leaning into my fears, I signed up for an attempt across Cook Strait.
That one decision changed the course of my life. Over the decade that followed, I pursued increasingly ambitious expeditions across some of New Zealand's most challenging waters.
I've been fortunate to use this ability to bring attention to something incredibly meaningful to me - the health of our oceans. I've seen the good, the bad, and everything in between under the surface. I reached a point where I felt I couldn't ignore what I was seeing any longer. The ocean had given me so much over my life, and now it was time to give back.
In 2023, I completed the longest, unassisted, continuous ocean swim in New Zealand's history - a distance of almost 100 kilometres from Great Barrier Island to Auckland. The expedition, Swim4TheGulf, carried the ambition of improving the health of Tīkapa Moana (the Hauraki Gulf).
And in 2026, I became the first person to swim the length of New Zealand's North Island, covering 1,367 kilometres over 90 days. More than a world-first, it was a mission to put the ocean back on the map and inspire greater action to protect it.
Today, those expeditions continue to shape my speaking, writing and advocacy. I share the lessons they revealed about resilience, purpose and human potential, helping others navigate uncertainty, embrace change and pursue ambitious goals.