A new wave of cold water swimmers are blowing records out of the water by swimming the length of chilly Otago lakes.
Today one woman will attempt to become the first person to swim 100km through Lake Manapōuri to the mouth of Foveaux Strait.
Swimmers say open water swimming is on the rise, with warmer temperatures making it more appealing and achievable.
Wellingtonian Fi Fairburn says swimming in some of New Zealand’s coldest waterways in just her togs takes her to her “happy place”.
“I took my wetsuit off a few years back and basically never put it back on.
”I have been a swimmer since I was 4. Getting back in without my wetsuit is great. Every part of your body is stimulated, you are grounded, and it is totally my happy place.”
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Marathon swimming is any event longer than 10km and six hours. This discipline has some rules different from plain open water: athletes cannot stop, use a wetsuit, or have any assistance throughout their race.
Fairburn says men are swimming too, but a lot of them focus on triathlons rather than marathon swimming attempts.
“We are built for it… It’s mostly women who are doing the pure open water swimming.”
One of the main factors that benefits women is their higher body fat percentage, which brings better buoyancy and insulation against the cold water.
JUAN ZARAMA PERINI/Stuff
A group of Wellingtonians will head south to conquer Lake Wānaka this month.
In late February, Fairburn swam 33km, the entire length of Lake Dunstan, in 13 hours and 34 minutes, wearing just togs, goggles and a swimming cap. The water wasn’t too bad, she says.
“I chose Dunstan because I knew I had to choose the warmest one around here. Wānaka is cold, so it is not an option and Hawea is not warm either.”
Lake Dunstan was about 18C on Saturday, despite the area having snow on the mountains only four days before.
In 2019, Fairburn became the first person to swim the length of Lake Wānaka (44km). At the time the lake was about 15C, so she wore a wetsuit, which wiped her from any official record.
In February, fellow swimmer Camille Gulick became the first person to swim Lake Wānaka in togs.
The Wānaka woman completed it in 15 hours 35 minutes. Then only two weeks later, her record was beaten by Wellington’s Rebecca Hollingsworth in just 14h.19.
“I don’t feel like I felt I would have completed the swim had I swam in a wetsuit, you’re not overcoming the environment,” says Hollingsworth, who plans to swim the English Channel in just togs next year.
Meanwhile, Wellingtonian Anna Marshall, who is no stranger to cold water and is often found swimming in Wellington Harbour near Oriental Bay, has been preparing for the swim of her life.
Paul Jaquin
Southern Lakes Swimming Club members swim in Lake Alta at the Remarkables ski area on New Year’s Day as part of the Lake Attack challenge. (First published January 17, 2023)
She’s decided to take the plunge on Thursday and attempt to become the first person to swim Lake Manapōuri, which neighbours Lake Te Anau.
The lake will be about 16C, as will the Waiau River where she will end at the mouth of Foveaux Strait. All up she aims to complete 100km.
“I haven’t been swimming much for a while.”
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Rebecca Hollingsworth and John Hancock before her record swim at Lake Wānaka, completing it in 14h.19.
She talks a humble game. Marshall is in fact the record holder of the 40.2km Lake Taupō (11h.25) swim, which she did in 2008.
Marshall is doing the Lake Manapōuri swim to push her limits and nerves.
“There is fear, doing something that scares yourself every now and then. You wonder how far you can still push yourself and how far especially when you get older.
“You wonder what you can do and what you can have a crack at.”
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Anna Marshall plans to swim Lake Manapouri this week, a 100km swim.
She will wear a wetsuit for this first attempt as the river temperature may be as low as 13C, and because of the “hidden terrors” of rocks and sticks that could cause trouble without one.
She says cold water gives her life.
“I have always loved the water. I have always been a water baby – my parents could never get me out of the water.
“It is a happy place. You can’t be unhappy doing something like this. It’s a beautiful way to see the country.”
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