The next chapter

Well, it’s been a minute.

I last wrote on here in December of last year. I was on the precipice of undertaking an extremely big, hairy, audacious goal – swimming the length of the North Island from North Cape to Wellington. I wrote that my overwhelming emotions at that time were excitement and fear. I was scared of what may lay ahead but equally eager to find out what the future would hold.

As history has shown, we completed this mammoth undertaking exactly 90 days after commencing. On April 4th, I swam into Whairepo Lagoon in Wellington after swimming 1,370 kilometres - the longest, unassisted staged swim ever completed. It was an expedition that both challenged and changed me. I will never be the same after this undertaking. What I have seen, experienced, and heard will stay with me for the rest of my life and will leave an indelible impression on everything that follows.

Indeed, even to undertake an expedition of this nature is to sit at the height of human experience for a short time. I often describe something like this as life condensed. It was 90 days – the twinkling of an eye in retrospect – but I lived more than most in this brief window.

Credit: Joshua McCormack

Above all, though, it showed me that change is possible, even in the face of enormous odds. We used the swim expedition to campaign against bottom trawling – a commercial fishing practice that causes destruction to the seabed, and particularly so on seamounts. Although our resources were comparatively small, the dent that was made cannot be understated. I learnt last week that a Horizon Research poll conducted in April showed that 47% of respondents now view bottom trawling as a top threat to our oceans, up from 37% in late 2024. The country is ready for change.

So, what does one do in the wake of an undertaking such as this?

I had plenty of time to think while out there swimming – 468 hours’ worth, in fact. As we neared the end, I let my mind churn on what could come next. For weeks, I had been laser-focused on the task in front of me, but as success reached almost a point of inevitability, I gave in to these cogitations of the future. One of the benefits of being away from the influences of societal and normative pressure for so long is that you gain clarity around what is meaningful and what is not. I made sure to capture my thoughts as they were in that moment, to refer to when I was brought back to the melee.

And so, now that the dust has settled, I’m excited to be putting those inspired thoughts into action and embarking on a new path for the foreseeable future. I have stepped away from my work with DHL – a difficult decision, but one that I believe is right for this season. With the time carved out, I’ll be throwing myself into three streams of activity for the remainder of this year: writing a book, keynote speaking, and ocean advocacy.

Yes, you heard that right – I’ll be writing a book. It will be filled with stories and lessons from my life, with swimming adventures taking centre stage. Swim4TheOcean, our mission swimming down the east coast of the North Island, will be a significant component. So, while I’d normally write a recap of sorts after finishing a swim adventure, I would ask you to be patient and wait until next year, when the book will be released. It will be worth it, I promise!

And I’ll be publishing to my blog more often as well. I’m not making any commitments, but I’ll aim to put something out there every couple of weeks or so. My writing is largely around the theme of exploring ideas that come forward as life progresses – you can expect thoughtful pieces that pull apart everything from human motivation to goal setting to living a life of purpose.

So, as I enter this new season, once again I am confronted by those familiar emotions of excitement and fear. Excitement for what may lie ahead, but fear of the unknown and the uncertainty that comes with it. Ultimately, I have faith that good comes from following your heart.

I’m excited to turn these next pages with you.