The Full Story

About

I am passionate about all things open-water swimming with a special interest in ultra-marathon swimming, which is generally defined as any open-water swim equal to or greater than 20 kilometres in distance.

I was the seventh person in history to complete the New Zealand Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming - made up of Cook Strait, Lake Taupo, and Foveaux Strait - as well as the first to undertake and successfully complete a crossing from the mainland to Tawhiti Rahi (the Poor Knights Islands) and back.

In May 2023, I completed the longest, unassisted, continuous ocean swim in New Zealand's history - a distance of almost 100 kilometres from Karaka Bay, Aotea Great Barrier Island to Campbells Bay, Auckland. It was more than just a swim - it was a Swim4TheGulf; a swim in partnership with charity Live Ocean with the ambition to improve the health of Tīkapa Moana (the Hauraki Gulf).

In January 2026, I started my most ambitious challenge yet, attempting to swim the length of the North Island of New Zealand from North Cape to Wellington - a 1,400 kilometre swim that is expected to take around 90 days to complete. If successful, it will be the longest, unassisted staged swim in history. Called Swim4TheOcean, it calls on our political leaders to end the antiquated and destructive fishing practice of bottom trawling in New Zealand once and for all.

If you're wondering, I didn't come out of the womb swimming (although, I may have been kicking). In fact, my early experiences with swimming weren't overwhelmingly positive. My favourite part of swimming lessons when I was younger was when it was all over and mum rewarded our efforts with a treat; generally, a raspberry twist. The incentive worked for a time, before I dropped the mundanity of following the black line in favour of football boots.

It wasn't until later in life, during my early twenties, that I stumbled into open-water swimming in what became an unlikely passion. To that, I owe a debt of gratitude to my brother and dad, who together introduced me to this world through a local ocean swimming event across Auckland Harbour. 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.

As the story goes, the distances grew and grew, and grew some more. What was initially a nerve-wracking and completely uncomfortable three-kilometre swim evolved into an incredibly challenging 5-kilometre swim. This led to my first ever marathon swim, a distance of 10 kilometres, in 2016. I haven't looked back since.

In pursuing the ultra-marathon swims that I have undertaken, I have found more than just the pain and glory that comes with completing a challenge of this nature. I've found myself. I want to share this with the world - and to help you, whoever you are, to find who you are. I hope that my writing inspires you and starts you on that journey, and that the lessons and stories contained within this blog help to enlighten you on your path.

I welcome you to interact and connect with me if you have any questions at all related to swimming or any of the topics which I write on.