Swim Chats – Details, episodes & analysis

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Swim Chats

Shona Riddell

Sports

Frequency: 1 episode/11d. Total Eps: 56

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 https://ko-fi.com/swimchats

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https://stokednz.co.nz/SWIMCHATS
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https://ko-fi.com/swimchats
9 shares
https://www.mountainstoseawellington.org/
3 shares

https://www.instagram.com/swimchats
55 shares
https://www.instagram.com/auramove.nz
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Score global : 68%

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

Season 2 · Episode 23

Sunday, October 4, 2026 • Duration 38:02

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 terrified of the water, to becoming a national-level swimmer and then a coach.

Ben has continued to learn, adapt, and innovate over his decades-long coaching career. His enjoyment and fascination with swimming remains strong, he is a caring and dedicated coach, and is a valued part of Wellington’s swim community.

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠StokedNZ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for your towelies and get 15% off with the discount code SWIMCHATS

Enjoy the podcast? Buy me a coffee via ⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/swimchats⁠⁠⁠

Become a Swim Buddy via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Swim Chats on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Contact me at swimchatswithshona at gmail dot com

Hit 'Follow' so you don't miss an episode.

Thanks for listening! :-)

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Introducing NZ's new freshwater swim festival

Season 2 · Episode 22

Sunday, September 20, 2026 • Duration 28:14

What: Ignite Freshwater Swim Fest

Where: Lake Pupuke / Pupukemoana, Auckland

When: February 13–14, 2027

Scott 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 championships, and much more.

The event's charity partner is Live Ocean and the swim 'ambassadors' who will be attending include gold medallist Lewis Clareburt, ultramarathon swimmer Jono Ridler, Auramove's Laura Quilter, TVNZ's Wendy Petrie, and former All Black Ian Jones.

Scott is passionate about running safe, inclusive, and feel-good events that, as he puts it, are a "celebration of swimming". He founded the NZ Ocean Swim Series, and now runs the Z Manu World Champs and Ocean Swim Fiji.

Learn more about the swim festival and get your earlybird entries via the Ignite Freshwater Swim Fest website.

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠StokedNZ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for your towelies and get 15% off with the discount code SWIMCHATS

Enjoy the podcast? Buy me a coffee via ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/swimchats⁠⁠

Become a Swim Buddy via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

How to save a swimming pool: the Aquadome story

Season 2 · Episode 21

Sunday, September 13, 2026 • Duration 30:19

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.

As Steve explains: “It felt like everything just came together. It became obvious to us that we should get it heated, get it covered – at the time it was just a hole in the ground. We set off with very naive ideas of the cost … we pitched it to the school originally as $200,000 but in the end it was over $1.5 million.”

The restored, indoor Aquadome opened in 2018 with a warm-water training pool and a 25m heated lap pool with six lanes, as well as new changing rooms and showers. The Wellington Swim Trust oversees the pool to keep it running and it's used by several primary schools, local colleges, and community groups.

In this episode Steve explains what compelled him and Gary to take on this massive project, how they raised the money (there was an unexpected donation of UHT milk), how the Trust keeps the pool running, and why it’s so important for kids to have accessible spaces to learn to swim and train for events.

Steve’s daughter Tash was a double Olympian and Commonwealth Games medallist, while his daughter Georgia has represented NZ in open water swimming and surf lifesaving – both have worked as swim coaches at the Aquadome.

Visit the Swim Trust website for more information about the Aquadome.

Photo: The Aquadome indoor swimming pool in Wellington (Steve Hind)

Visit for your towelies and get 15% off with the discount code SWIMCHATS

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

Season 2 · Episode 20

Wednesday, September 2, 2026 • Duration 49:06

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 tips and articles.

In this episode, John explains:

How SwimRun got started and how it's evolved into a series of popular events around the world
The gear and swim aids used by SwimRunners (some necessary, most optional) including short wetsuits, vests, running shoes, neoprene socks, a tether and belt, paddles and pull buoys
The logistics involved in swimming then running then swimming then running

The NZ Amphibian SwimRun event happening in April 2027 (two distance options) in the Bay of Islands
The popularity of SwimRun Australia and its events in Sydney and Melbourne
Why any swimmer would consider running (a genuine if slightly facetious question from me)

Have you tried SwimRunning? Get in touch or leave a comment on the Swim Chats Insta page.

Photo: John and his friend Marina completing the original Õtillö SwimRun in Sweden this year.

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠StokedNZ⁠⁠⁠⁠ for your towelies and get 15% off with the discount code SWIMCHATS

Enjoy the podcast? Buy me a coffee via https://ko-fi.com/swimchats

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

Season 2 · Episode 19

Wednesday, August 19, 2026 • Duration 01:12:37

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 episode Gráinne (pronounced Gron-ya) shares stories from all seven swims, including swimming across the choppy English Channel as a teen in the 1980s; a "very, very large" shark encounter in the Cook Strait; battling 12-degree water and lion's mane jellies in the North Channel; the 42km 'Channel of Bones' in Hawai'i; and the thrill of completing the Oceans Seven in her mid-50s. We also talk about the swims that took more than one attempt and how they were learning opportunities that led to future rewards, and the ongoing support of her friends, family, and the wider swim community.

Gráinne's Oceans Seven

English Channel – 3 August 1987 – 11 hours 52 minutes
Cook Strait – 6 March 2001 – 12 hours 25 minutes
North Channel – 22 July 2022 – 13 hours 33 minutes
Moloka'i Channel – 12 May 2023 – 15 hours 7 minutes
Catalina Channel – 7 July 2023 – 11 hours 22 minutes
Straits of Gibraltar – 22 May 2024 – 4 hours and 23 minutes
Tsugaru Strait – 19 June 2026 – 12 hours and 29 minutes

Visit Gráinne's blog grainnemoss.com for detailed accounts of her swims and follow her @swimirishkiwi on Instagram (or Facebook).

Visit Kenziesgift.com to learn more about Gráinne's fundraising. Kenzie's Gift supports children and young adults who need grief or mental health support when a parent or sibling has died or has a serious illness.

Swim smarter, not harder with SwimMastery coach Tracey Baumann

Season 2 · Episode 18

Monday, August 3, 2026 • Duration 01:05:20

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 matter what age or swim level you are.

Tracey is based in Brisbane, Australia. She offers virtual coaching and video analysis, runs clinics and open water swim camps, and coaches in an endless pool at the SwimMastery Swim Studio. I have personally found her coaching to be incredibly beneficial for my swimming.

Find out more about SwimMastery: swimmasteryinternational.com

Buy Tracey's The Swim Mastery Way book on Amazon

Follow SwimMastery on Instagram

Visit ⁠⁠StokedNZ⁠⁠ for your towelies and get 15% off with the discount code SWIMCHATS

Support the podcast via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Swim Chats on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Contact me at swimchatswithshona at gmail dot com

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

Season 2 · Episode 17

Sunday, July 26, 2026 • Duration 26:30

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 $10,000. They also host a mid-winter community swim and a quiz night. Their bank details are Scarborough Dippers 01-0811-0814833-00 if you want to chip in!

Founding member Sandra Taylor came on the podcast to talk about how the group got started, their annual fundraising, the importance of a ‘Bucket of Joy’, and the support and connections that have formed from the fun and buzz of ocean dipping. As Sandra explains: “There’s no rules, no cost, no expectations, just a kind and lovely group of people that have all gathered around a love of dipping.”

Visit the Scarborough Dippers public page on Facebook to follow along (new dippers and visitors are welcome – there are daily dippers and their biggest turnout tends to be on Fridays).

Visit ⁠StokedNZ⁠ for your towelies and get 15% off with the discount code SWIMCHATS

Support the podcast via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Swim Chats on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Contact me at swimchatswithshona at gmail dot com

Hit 'Follow' so you don't miss an episode.

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

Season 2 · Episode 16

Wednesday, July 15, 2026 • Duration 58:15

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 cross-training for swimmers!).

Timon talks about leaving kids' competitive swim coaching, opening the gym, and his many years of running adult swim squads. We discuss the joys and challenges of running squads, his top swimming tips, teaching different ages, personalities, and abilities, and how creating a friendly space helps people to learn and have fun so they want to keep coming back.

Visit the Bonobos gym website

Visit the Bonobos Swim Squad website

Visit StokedNZ for your towelies and get 15% off with the discount code SWIMCHATS

Support the podcast via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Swim Chats on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Contact me at swimchatswithshona at gmail dot com

Hit 'Follow' so you don't miss an episode.

Diving into the world of sea sponges with Professor James Bell

Season 2 · Episode 15

Wednesday, July 1, 2026 • Duration 53:25

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 attention.)

In this episode we talk about the characteristics and role of sea sponges, where you can find them, and how they're responding to marine heatwaves and increased levels of sedimentation (e.g. Wellington's current wastewater treatment plant disaster).

James also talks about life as a marine biologist: diving in some of the world's coolest places, teaching the next generation of marine scientists, and sharing information to help people better understand and advocate for our underwater world.

Glossary:

Nudibranch: soft-bodied marine gastropods (sea slugs)

Bioactive: something that has a biological effect on living organisms

Spicules: needle-like elements produced by sponges to provide structural support and protection against predators

Glass sponges: sponges with skeletons made out of spicules (see above)

Image: James's award-winning 'sponge point of view' photo taken with an Insta360 camera from inside a barrel sponge in Indonesia. (James Bell)

Visit ⁠StokedNZ⁠ for your towelies and get 15% off at checkout with the code SWIMCHATS

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

Season 2 · Episode 14

Thursday, June 25, 2026 • Duration 01:23:44

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 circumnavigation of Rangitoto Island in 2025. (You can read her excellent write-ups of her big swims on her blog, Goggles at Dawn.)

We also talk more generally about how to stay positive during very long (or very cold) swims, technique, training goals and swim routines, and feeding plans.

This month Corrina is training for the NZ Ice Swimming Championships in July and is also taking part in Coastguard NZ's Big Swim fundraiser – you can sponser her via her fundraising page.

Because Corrina has done so much swimming (24km in the pool and sea per week is not uncommon), I asked a lot of questions and this episode is about 90 minutes long. It's a good one – grab a hot beverage of your choice and enjoy!

The photo shows Corrina swimming an ice mile (about 1.6km) at St Bathans in 2023. (Corrina Connor)

Visit ⁠⁠StokedNZ⁠⁠ for your towelies and get 15% off at checkout with the code SWIMCHATS

Support the podcast via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Swim Chats on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Swim Chats – Details, episodes & analysis

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Swim Chats – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

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Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other99+

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Latest published episodes

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Other99+

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