By Sue Pairaudeau
Auckland
February 3, 2012
Two “old buggers” are today (subs: Friday, 3 February 2012) calmly swimming for six hours back and forth from Takapuna Beach to a buoy. The harbour is easy open water training for Aucklanders John Shackleton, 57, and Alastair Hulbert, 42, who next month tackle one of the toughest challenges on the planet – Cook Strait.
British-born Shackleton says the swim marathon is his toughest physical and mental challenge – despite studying sports psychology, coaching Olympic athletes, holding British and New Zealand masters records for sprint events in pools, and being a top international motivational speaker and author. But age is not a problem, and he doesn’t believe in luck.
“While more than 3000 people have climbed Mt Everest, about 1000 have swum the English Channel, and over 500 have been into space, only 80 have successfully conquered Cook Strait without a wetsuit.”
The cold, unforgiving stretch of water separating the North and South Islands is described by Wikipedia as “some of the most dangerous and unpredictable waters in the world”.
Swimming its 26km “is going to take seven or eight hours on your own in a large amount of very cold water”.
“Water temperature can drop to 13 degrees Celsius, so you have to swim fast enough to not get cold, and slow enough to not get exhausted. And one in six attempts has a shark visit.”
The tidal window for the swim is March 27 to April 3, with weather being the decider. “We could be as fit as we want, and we’re up there now, but weather on the day will determine whether we step into the water.”
It will also determine whether they swim North to South Island or vice versa.
“You actually swim east to west – the two islands are side by side.”
It’s been a “massive commitment” for Shackleton, swimming up to 50km a week with the aim to conquer Cook Strait as the oldest swimmer. Then two weeks ago 60-year-old US swimmer Tom Hecker snatched it in 10 hours 36 minutes.
“It was a bit upsetting because I wanted the record, but it’s about personal growth not holding a record, and achieving way, way outside my comfort zone.
“I’m a motivational speaker. My entire job is standing on stage telling people how to turn failure into success. It’s a good example of me swallowing my own medicine.”
Turners and Growers and Jones Lang LaSalle are sponsoring support for the swim which costs $8000 for a launch and inflatable rescue boats. The swimmers will stop every half hour for 30 seconds to drink and eat while not touching anyone or anything. Shackleton is partial to honey sandwiches – it takes away the taste of salt – and Happy Valley Honey has come on board with honey and bee pollen granules which he says have increased his energy levels.
In conjunction with the swim, Shackleton is running a competition with all proceeds going to the Autism Foundation. His six-year-old has a mild form of autism; “he writes the most amazing poetry but can’t clean his teeth”.
Visit www.bigswim.co.nz and pay $10 to guess the time Shackleton will take to swim Cook Strait. The winner will enjoy two return flights to Fiji and five nights’ accommodation at Mana Island Resort, sponsored by Air New Zealand. The runner up receives a phone from Noel Leeming. Shackleton’s blog is straittalking.blogspot.com.
John Shackleton: 021 366 669 / john@johnshack.com
Sue Pairaudeau
Online editor
Media PA
07 8252883
021 030 1851
sue.pairaudeau@gmail.com
