As I wrote a few weeks ago, I been training since December for a 20 km swim event to Auckland. One that many of you supported with donations…
And as we all know, the last few weeks have been quite incredible with the issues around COVID 19 virus.
Two days ago the organisers decided to cancel it, since we have a sanitary emergency and first response assets need to be on standby for real emergencies… having to worry about 30 crazy people swimming to Auckland (trough shipping lines) is a problem they don't need.
Kaz, Avi, Felipe, Juan and my self
This of course was quite disappointing, as I have been training for 4 months… but in true fisherman spirit… I”ll said: fuc*k it.. I’ll do a swim in any case… So I planned a route along the coast of my island that would never keep be more than 1.5/2 km from shore, so I could do without external support.
Why would I do that? Just a matter of principle… I gave my word to all that lovely people listed below that I’ll swim for a good cause, and while I could not do the one promised… I’ll do the next best thing.
I told the team I been training with what I would do…. And as they call me “captain” everyone went “yeah… we do it… we do the swim with you” (what an awesome crew!)
So yeah … today was the day… and it was quite miserable… southerlies, rain and so overcast the GPS in my sport watch lost signal quite a few times (as you can see - I can assure you I did not cross the peninsula on foot to keep swimming!) and we did almost 12 km.
a waiheke swim
I don't know much about much… but at sea, you become quite tuned into evaluating people’s characters… and the crew I did this swim with, are just exceptional people.
My book of rules in life has 2 lines in bold… Never be ungrateful and never be pretentious… so my full respect and total thankfulness to the crew I did the swim with, Avi and Felipe as swimmers and Kaz (my coolest wantok from Alotau in PNG) for kayaking with us.
More importantly my massive gratefulness to the following people named below that donated almost 1700 NZD to support me. You guys are legends
Finally, we are swimming in uncertain times with COVID 19… things are scary. A key thing I learned as a sea search and rescue swimmer, is that fear can be your friend… but panic is always you enemy. And a former DJ specialised in Jamaican sounds, I learned that a good song always help… and even when clouds make the sky dark, remember Danny Red wise words, and “Be Grateful” for who you are
Thank you all for who you are.
YOLAINE BEYENS
TONY LONG
SUE WATSON
PIROSKA AND BALAZS
OWEN X
NOOROA TEHIRA ANGUNA
MICHAEL BATTY
MATTHEW HOOPER
MARK YOUNG
KIMBERLY VOSBURGH
KIM THOMPSON
KATHRIN BACHER
JEAN-FRANÇOIS BONNIN
FISH SAFETY FOUNDATION
EMILY LAWSON
ELSIE TANADJAJA
DREYDON SOBANJA
DANIEL SUDDABY
BRUNO DEPREZ
ANONYMOUS x 2
ALASTAIR MACFARLANE
MARGREET ENSHEDE
HUGH WALTON