JONO RIDLER - 33-hour Swim Across New Zealand's Hauraki Gulf. A call for Marine Protection and Restoration.

Swim Revolutionary

Jono Ridler is an open-water swimming enthusiast with a deep passion for ultra- marathon swims. Having accomplished the prestigious New Zealand Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, consisting of Cook Strait, Lake Taupo, and Foveaux Strait, he has solidified his position among a select group of ten remarkable individuals in history.

In May 2023, Jono achieved an extraordinary feat by completing the longest unassisted continuous open- water swim ever recorded in New Zealand, covering an astounding distance of nearly 100 kilometers from Aotea Great Barrier Island to Auckland.

Beyond his incredible aquatic achievements, Jonathan is an avid storyteller who shares his experiences through captivating speeches and engaging written narratives. His journey into open-water swimming was an unexpected one, sparked by a local ocean swimming event that ignited his passion for the sport. From conquering initial anxieties to embracing ever-increasing challenges, Jono's progression from three kilometers to epic ultra-marathon swims has shaped his identity and personal growth.

In his pursuit of these monumental swims, Jono discovered more than just physical triumph. Through the pain, glory, and self-discovery, he found his true self and now seeks to inspire others on their own paths of self-discovery. Jonathan's writing and stories aim to ignite inspiration, guiding individuals towards self-realization and enlightenment. Dive into Jono's world, be captivated by his experiences, and embark on a transformative journey through the depths of open-water swimming.

From his early triumphs in local ocean swim events to his pursuit of pushing physical and mental boundaries, Jono's journey serves as an inspiration

to explore the depths of human potential.

What motivated you to start swimming in open water, especially ultramarathon swimming?

Growing up, I was always close to water. Our regular Sunday activity as a family would be an afternoon spent at one of Auckland’s west coast beaches. I wasn’t much of a swimmer growing up, though, and it wasn’t until I was 21 that my affinity for open-water swimming began. In 2011, I signed up to an ocean swim event from Bayswater to the Viaduct marina – a 2.8km distance across Auckland’s harbour. It was an incredibly difficult swim at the time, but I finished it and was hooked.

My journey into ultra-marathon swimming came toward the end of that same decade, and it grew from a desire to explore and further understand my physical and mental capabilities. I have come to realise that any pre-conceived boundaries are only confined by my imagination, which is an incredibly alluring concept. Ultra-marathon swimming has provided to me an avenue to be truly limitless, and for that reason it has entirely captivated me.

Could you describe your journey through the New Zealand Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming?

The New Zealand Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming is made up of three major swims in New Zealand – Cook Strait, the length of Lake Taupo, and Foveaux Strait.

I signed up for Cook Strait in 2016 following my first marathon (10-kilometre) distance swim. In February of 2019, I was able to attempt a crossing of Cook Strait and, fortunately, it was a successful attempt. It was an incredibly difficult challenge, and I overcame many hurdles along the way, including being chased by a sealion, navigating 2-metre swells, kidney pain, and cold waters. I wrote

after the swim that crossing the Cook Strait was like “unlocking the cheat codes to life”. It was a significant marker in my personal journey.

Following that, I signed up to attempt to swim the length of Lake Taupo in February of 2020. The sheer distance of the swim scared me. I slept only 90 minutes the night before taking on that 40-kilometre swim, my mind unsettled by the challenge that lay ahead. After almost 12 and a half hours and carrying significant pain for more than half of that journey, I made it to the other side. I proposed to my girlfriend on the shore of Lake Taupo moments after finishing the swim. Weeks later, New Zealand was plunged into the first of what would be many COVID-19 lockdowns to come.

The last swim in the Triple Crown was Foveaux Strait – the channel that lies between Stewart Island and the South Island. It had always scared me, due to its reputation for cold water and an abundant shark population. Naturally, I knew I had to lean into that fear. This was also my first independent swim, meaning that it was independent of an association and that all the logistics and planning needed to be pulled together from scratch.

After many months of planning and pulling a crew together, alongside gruelling training in the lead-up, I attempted a crossing of Foveaux Strait in February 2021. We were gifted a fantastic day, with light wind and rolling swells. I was able to achieve the speed record at the time and, with it, the Triple Crown.

How did you prepare for the 33-hour swim from Aotea Great Barrier Island to Auckland's North Shore mentally and physically?

The physical training was predominantly based around high levels of swimming mileage. During my peak week (the final week in the training build), I spent 32 hours of swimming across both pool and ocean. The purpose of the high volume was to build my body to withstand swimming for long durations. Weekends were consumed with long back-to-back training swims – for example, over Easter weekend I did three 8-hour swims followed by a 4-hour swim. It was also not unusual for me to be swimming during the very early hours of the morning to become acquainted with swimming in the dark. My weekend swims started as early as 2am, finishing late morning or after midday. To supplement the swimming volume and mitigate against injury, I also built my body up by doing gym sessions two times a week.

The mental training goes hand-in-hand with the physical training; particularly so when I am spending

8 hours or more swimming laps in a pool. These arduous and long sessions are often mental more so than they are physical, and I am in some cases fighting with my mind to stay focused on the task ahead. I have also been a keen practitioner of mindfulness meditation for almost a decade now,

which helps with developing the skill of both not letting your thoughts overtake you and staying in a flow state for extended periods of time.

What aspect of the 33-hour swim was the hardest, and how did you persevere through it?

There were two phases that stand out in my memory. The first phase was at dusk on the first night.

We were off the northern point of Little Barrier and my gut was in high levels of distress. To add to this, my left tricep started to cramp and with that came pain in my shoulder. It was relatively early in the swim, with still more than 75 kilometres of swimming to come. The structured feeding plan that I had designed needed to be changed on the fly, with the hopes that this would cause the gut distress to retreat. I continued to swim in spite of this pain and, eventually, my gut settled.

The second phase was the last three or so hours of the swim. The conditions were worsening and becoming incredibly disruptive, for both me and the support crew alongside. The tide was turning, meaning that I would be swimming into it headway.

I was still maintaining a relatively good stroke rate, but my body was in pain, and I was not swimming as powerfully as in the first half of the swim.

Around this point, I also started to hallucinate as sleep deprivation came home to roost. The combination of these challenges proved incredibly difficult.

What impact do you think swimming in open water will have on bringing environmental issues to light, such as the condition of Auckland's Hauraki Gulf?

Ocean swimmers have a unique view of the ocean and, through time spent in the water, develop a strong connection to our moana and its inhabitants. Traditionally, ocean swimmers have not been incredibly vocal in championing environmental issues, although there are some around the world that act as lighthouses for others to follow (for example, Lewis Pugh). After sitting on the sidelines for long enough, I felt it was time to step up and make my voice heard. Swim4TheGulf was born out of this desire.

I believe that if we can make our collective voice loud enough, any change is possible.

The main call to action out of Swim4TheGulf is to drive the government to deliver the Revitalising The Gulf plan, which includes increasing the marine protection and eliminating unsustainable fishing practices.

Along with ocean conservation charity Live Ocean, I will continue to do what I can to drive this agenda until it is successful.

What point are you trying to make with your writing and open-water swimming accomplishments?

Humans have used storytelling to share messages for thousands of years. I write for two audiences, primarily: firstly, open- water swimmers, who may be able to take some of my learnings and apply them in a more specific or tactical way; and secondly, those who may be able to take the general learnings (for example, dealing with a difficult situation) and apply those lessons to their lives more broadly. We can learn an incredible amount through sharing stories, and I think it would be selfish of me to not share mine. And so, I write.

While the swims I undertake are driven in part by personal challenge, I also hope to be able to inspire others to climb their own Everest – whatever that looks like.

What suggestions would you make to someone who wants to pursue ultramarathon swimming?

I would suggest to first find somebody who has walked the path before you and to connect with them. Many of the learnings in ultra-marathon swimming remain tacit, but you can extract extraordinary amounts of knowledge if you find the right person. Connecting with somebody that has suitable experience will allow you to avoid some of the more common mistakes. The next level of that is to integrate into a community of like- minded individuals. With the right mentorship and community around you, you will have a significant leg-up.

"I believe that if we can make our collective voice loud enough, any change is possible."

How do you find a balance between your love of open-water swimming and other responsibilities, including job and family?

A 100-kilometre swim requires a significant time commitment to prepare for, and so balance is not a word I would readily use as applicable for my situation. It wasn’t unusual in the final few months of the lead-up to be spending up to 40 hours a week on training, recovery, planning, and media. A normal working week for me is around 50 hours per week, not including commute. In the lead-up to Swim4TheGulf, there wasn’t a lot of time left over outside of these core activities. Social engagements were difficult to make. I spent very little quality time with my (currently pregnant) wife. Household chores and errands often fell by the wayside.

Having said that, there are some areas that you can dial down when you need to be laser focused – for example, I was only spending 20 minutes a day on my phone in the lead-up. If you audit your schedule and are clear on your priorities, you can find time for the things that matter.

Could you describe a specific incident or memory from your open-water swimming excursions that has stuck with you?

I was about three hours into my swim across Foveaux Strait. We had started the swim at Stewart Island and were headed toward the landmass at the back of Bluff on the South Island.

The water was crystal clear, and I could see as far as my eyes allowed. I had been fortunate enough to see some marine life at the start of the swim, with further glimpses here and there as we proceeded. With three hours or so complete, I looked down below me to see one of the most beautiful sights that I have had the privilege to encounter. A group of about a dozen sharks circled in the water deep below me, slowly following each other in a clockwise direction like some kind of ritual dance. My initial reaction was one of fear, and I exclaimed as much to the crew, but when it was clear that I was not in danger it turned to curiosity. The moment passed almost as quickly as it came, but its memory will stay with me forever.

Swimming in open water has the potential to be a very meditative and reflective activity. How has this part of the sport changed the way you interact with the natural world?

Open-water swimming has given me an appreciation that we, as humans, are only one part of a much larger ecosystem. We often forget this as we work in our concrete office buildings, drive in our cars, and lie on our couches watching Netflix. In some senses, we have become detached from the natural world that we were born into. There is nothing more inherently, well, natural than being in the ocean and swimming with the flora and fauna of our moana. For me, open-water swimming has always grounded me and taught me that we are not separate from the natural world. We are the natural world. And to continue to live in ignorance of this may be our greatest crime as humanity.

I only wish that everyone could have the same amazing experiences that I have had in the ocean, as I believe we would make decisions from a very different perspective if so.

How have you seen the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on marine ecosystems as someone who has spent a lot of time in the ocean?

I’ll speak to this more specifically in terms of my experience in the Hauraki Gulf. Firstly, and this is topical, surface water temperatures in 2023 are higher than they have ever been. I was a beneficiary of this in a sense for my swim. The water temperature should have, according to historical standards, been about one degree cooler. However, aside from allowing me to ward off hypothermia for longer, the heating of our oceans is most certainly negative and has a significant impact on marine life. It is truly scary at the rate at which this heating is taking place. I have noticed this rapid heating first-hand. Secondly, I have seen the increasing levels of sedimentation in the waters of the Hauraki Gulf. This became obvious after Cyclone Gabrielle in particular, when large volumes of sewage spilled out into the ocean following the flooding events. Filter- feeders, such as mussels and scallops, cannot keep up, and so the water continues to cloud.

Finally, I have seen first-hand the devastation wrought by Kina, which lack natural predators (such as crayfish, which are functionally extinct in the Hauraki Gulf) and so are unabated in their attempts to graze down kelp forests. I have seen this around many of the islands in the Hauraki Gulf, with huge areas of island coast that are devastatingly barren. Kelp are a necessary part of a healthy ecosystem.

In marine protected areas, the natural predators of Kina, which include crayfish and snapper, are able to remove the Kina and keep kelp forests thriving.

What part, in your view, do athletes and sports people play in fostering environmental

sustainability and consciousness?

I believe that athletes, as role models in society, can have significant sway in public opinion and can therefore impact government policy and decision-making. It is athletes like Peter Burling and Blair Tuke who are the next generation of sportsperson – competing at the highest level but also fighting for what they care about.

We extend our deepest gratitude to Jono Ridler for sharing his extraordinary journey with Light Up Mag and our readers. His unwavering determination, environmental advocacy, and transformative experiences have left an indelible mark.

Jono's story is a powerful reminder that we can overcome any obstacle and push beyond our limits. His triumphs in ultramarathon swimming, including conquering the New Zealand Triple Crown, inspire us to embrace our own potential and pursue our passions relentlessly.

We are profoundly moved by Jono's commitment to environmental causes. His call to protect our oceans and restore their health resonates deeply, urging us to take action and make a positive impact on our planet.

Thank you, Jono, for illuminating our path with your inspiring journey. May your words ignite a spark within our readers, empowering them to embark on their own transformative quests and contribute to a more sustainable future.