Taunaha makes it to the other side

Anika West, Rachel Bray, Steph Godsiff and Taunaha Smith (in green cap) were a group of local ladies from the Paihia/Haruru area who completed the I'm Going Long swim. PICTURE/STEPHEN WESTERN

Dragged off course by tricky currents, she nearly put her hand up at one point and asked to be pulled from the water.

However, Taunaha Smith managed to keep calm and carry on and was eventually able to clamber ashore and celebrate swimming the 3.3km crossing from Russell to Paihia in the Bay of Islands Classic on Saturday morning.

It was the 38-year-old local woman's first ever go in the series, indeed at ocean swimming altogether, and afterwards she admitted to being nearly overwhelmed by the feeling of achievement upon feeling her legs touch down on terra firma on the other side.

"I fell on my knees and started crying ... It was a really, really hard slog. I honestly didn't think I was going to make it. What an amazing experience.

"I have always wanted to do this swim," Taunaha had told organisers earlier this year, after making up her mind to register for the females 35-39 group in the 7th Bay of Islands Classic.

"This will be my first time so I am a bit nervous. My plan is just to enjoy it and have fun," she added at the time, and estimated it would take her around 80 to 89 minutes to complete.

She then joined a small group of local women also preparing to take part in the event and began training with them at the Kawakawa pool regularly over the winter. On the eve of the event last Friday, Taunaha declared her intention to go ahead despite Saturday's unfavourable forecast.

"No backing out now!"

She arrived on the morning of the day to join the field of 670 swimmers in the I'm Going Long event. They left the Russell foreshore in groups ranked according to speed/ability from 9am, all swimming over a 10.26am high tide under dark skies with drizzle turning to rain at times.

"Conditions were a bit rough but better than last year, from what I heard. I felt it was quite challenging. There was a strong current, the winds were blowing from all directions, there was rain, very choppy seas and swells."

Towards the end, Taunaha felt she had reached breaking point. Absolutely shattered and battling the current, she nearly decided to call it quits.

"I felt like putting my hand up," she said, noting the Far North Surf Rescue lifeguards pushed her back on course and encouraged her to keep going. Told she had passed the last buoy well within the two-hour cut-off time [thus avoiding a Did Not Finish], Taunaha eventually completed in 1:35:20, remarkably close to her original estimate.

"I was just pleased I made it. It was quite an overwhelming experience for me, considering this was my first time doing this swim," she said, noting that everyone in her team finished the race.

"All did it. All made it to the end," she said, describing the Bay of Islands Classic as: "One of the best-organised events I have ever been involved in."

This had given her confidence to consider taking part in other events in the series, including the Legend of the Lake (Rotorua) as part of a tag team in February, and also the seventh and final leg, the King of the Bays in April.

Taunaha's final word of advice was to encourage anyone considering taking part in the ocean swim events to get stuck in and not give it a second thought.

"People of all ages from all walks of life were there. An 80-plus-year-old did it in under an hour, man!"

-More from the Bay of Islands Classic can be found inside today's edition.