Jono Ridler continues his swim towards Gisborne. His team estimated he would come ashore here some time on Monday and Midway Surf Life Saving Club will be the next stopover. Photo / Joshua McCormack
Jono Ridler continues his swim towards Gisborne. His team estimated he would come ashore here some time on Monday and Midway Surf Life Saving Club will be the next stopover. Photo / Joshua McCormack
Ultra-marathon swimmer Jono Ridler took giant strokes towards Gisborne on Thursday and into Friday as he makes his way down the east coast of the North Island.
He is expected to come ashore in Gisborne on Monday.
On Thursday, the endurance athlete spent 11 hours in the water and banked35.82km – the biggest day yet on his 1400km journey from North Cape to Wellington.
“Thursday was a record-breaking day on the water for Jono and the biggest single day of the Swim4TheOcean mission so far,” said Live Ocean Foundation board chairman Stephen Jones.
Ridler left Tokomaru Bay on Thursday morning and that night stepped ashore in Tolaga Bay.
“I had to dig a bit deeper than I thought I would – for different reasons,” Ridler said after his second big swim of the day – a six-hour session.
“Eating too much food beforehand was a bad idea, as it always is. I was a bit rushed and tried to squeeze some down and I got cold. Anyway, I got through it.”
Jono Ridler: "I had to dig a bit deeper than I thought I would." Photo / Joshua McCormack
He and his team left Tolaga Bay on Friday morning in nice conditions.
Ridler had clocked up 12km when he took a break at around 10am.
The team were looking to push through as far as they could on Friday, mindful of the approaching southerly change, Jones said.
Sea and weather conditions were again bang on for Jono Ridler's Friday morning efforts, but his crew were watching the appoaching southerly closely. Photo / Joshua McCormack
“Support for the mission continues to build,” Jones said of Ridler’s mission to see an end to bottom trawling fishing in New Zealand.
“Since passing 15,000 signatures on February 19, more than 5800 additional names have been added to the call to end bottom trawling – taking the total to 20,800 and climbing [as of 2pm on Friday the number was up to 21,369].
“As Jono tracks down the east coast, more New Zealanders are getting behind the push to end bottom trawling.”
Jones said they anticipated arriving in Gisborne some time on Monday.
“The next planned community stopover is Midway Surf Life Saving Club in Gisborne – timing dependent on conditions and progress.”
A post on the Midway Surf Rescue Community Hub Facebook page is inviting the community to an event at the Midway SLSC on Monday from 4-6pm to meet Ridler. It will include a free sausage sizzle and face painting.
