Ultra-marathon swimmer Jono Ridler (left) says he has had "some amazing experiences" in the ocean and wants to connect as many people as possible with those. Photo / Murray Robertson
Ultra-marathon swimmer Jono Ridler (left) says he has had "some amazing experiences" in the ocean and wants to connect as many people as possible with those. Photo / Murray Robertson
Ultra-marathon swimmer Jono Ridler says the pull of Wellington is getting stronger every day on his 1400km Swim4theOcean journey down the east coast of the North Island.
“That’s what’s keeping me going,” he told a packed Midway Surf Life Saving Club on Monday.
Ridler started his marathon swimfrom North Cape in early January bound for Wellington.
He has been resting in Gisborne since arriving here on Sunday night. The southerly change has kept him and his team ashore until sea and weather conditions improve.
It is looking like Wednesday or Thursday when he will be able to resume his Live Ocean Foundation-backed swim aimed at gathering support for a ban on bottom fishing around New Zealand.
A petition on the liveocean.org website had attracted more than 23,370 signatures as of Tuesday morning.
There was standing room only for Ridler’s talk about the campaign in Dawson Building Midway’s clubhouse lounge on Monday afternoon.
More than 150 people packed the lounge at the Midway community hub on Monday afternoon to hear marathon swimmer Jono Ridler's heart-felt presentation about the Swim4theOceancampaign to ban bottom trawling. Photo / Murray Robertson
The audience was enthralled by the presentation, and many chose to meet and chat with Ridler and have photographs taken.
After his presentation, Gisborne people lined up to have a photograph taken with Jono Ridler, and to congratulate him and his team on their efforts. Photo / Murray Robertson
He and his team spelt out in detail how they were going about his massive effort and the support they had received.
“We have a really fine-tuned operation,” he said in relation to his diet, precautions and other logistics of a potential world-record unassisted swim.
“For me it is personally meaningful. I have a real love for the ocean. I have had some amazing experiences out there and I want to connect as many people as possible with those experiences.”
Jono Ridler departed from Whāngārā at 6am Sunday and was offshore of Gisborne around 8pm. He has been resting in the city since then and hopes to return to the water on Wednesday or Thursday. Photo / Joshua McCormack
Ridler has talked with various communities over the duration of his journey.
“I’ve spoken to people in their 70s and 80s about what the fishing used to be like during their early lives. It’s not too late to make change.”
A key part of the Live Oceans presentation to Monday’s gathering was outlining the extent of damage bottom trawling caused to the seabed and fish stocks.
“We need to show the politicians that this is something the whole country cares about,” Ridler said as he called for more support for the online campaign.
“I have to get to Wellington. Every day I’m being pulled stronger in that direction. That’s what is keeping me going. All the pain involved will eventually go away.”
He was “humbled” by the “fantastic support” shown in Tairāwhiti .
Ridler set out from Whāngārā at 6am Sunday and in four steady hours knocked another 10km off his destination before 10am.
“After a short rest ashore, the team headed back out, starting at around 2pm for a second push – six more hours in the water, adding close to 19km,” Live Ocean board chairman Stephen Jones said.
“It was a case of go while you can. A strong southerly was forecast to build above 30 knots, bringing heavy swell from the south, conditions that make forward progress impossible.”
He ended his journey on Sunday at a GPS point roughly 13km offshore of Gisborne.
“Visibly cold and tired, he climbed aboard the StabiX support boat around 8pm Sunday.”
“I felt good for most of the day Sunday, my muscles felt limber and flexible. It was a bit chilly out there. It’s not that cold in the water- about 19 degrees- but you’ve got the wind whipping across your back as well, so that definitely cools down the body temperature overall.
“I didn’t help myself because I didn’t wear a cap either, but it’s good practice for later on.”
