E126 | Jono Ridler

Episode summary | Jono Ridler

Jono Ridler is a general manager at DHL – and on the side does ultra marathon swimming.

He is one of 10 to have completed the triple crown of Cook Strait, Lake Taupo, and Foveaux Strait, and holds the record for the fastest combined time for the three swims.

Last week he set a new record for NZ’s longest swim, spending over 33 hours and swimming just short of 100km from Aotea Great Barrier Island to Campbell’s Bay on Auckland’s North Shore. The feat doubled his previous best swimming distance.

We go inside the incredible mindset to understand how Jono turned a vision for himself into reality and get taken behind the scenes of the epic swim that pushed him to his limits and captured the imagination of the nation and brought the state of the Hauraki Gulf into the spotlight.

Show notes | Jono Ridler

1:39: “A bit of a week”

8:30: Capturing the imagination of kiwis

12:55: Turning an idea into reality

17:35: Connecting with Live Ocean

20:24: The training regime for 100km

26:30: Building up to the swim

31:04: The swim

53:05: The aftermath of the swim

1:00:15: The mechanics of open water swimming

1:03:22: The Hauraki Gulf

1:10:37: Pushing your limits

1:15:49: Cook Strait and Lake Taupo

1:18:02: Steven’s swimming journey

1:21:34: Lessons from Brazilian Jujitsu and ice baths

1:26:31 Ice swimming

1:29:05: The Ocean 7 and ultra marathon swimming internationally

1:34:04: Last words from Steve, Seamus, and Jono