Epic Channel swim for Kiwi
When Simon Olliver is not ‘‘officebound’’ he is putting his body to the test with international channel swims.
Over a week ago, Olliver became the 18th New Zealander to successfully swim the English Channel – with nothing but his swim cap, goggles and togs.
In doing so, the 51 year-old also became the oldest Kiwi to swim the length of the channel. ‘‘It’s a sense of achievement because every time you do these swims it’s hurting and you’re really putting your body through it,’’ he said.
Some 32km is the recognised distance for the open water challenge, but Olliver’s expedition took him 45km over 11 hours and eight minutes.
There was plenty of time to think, and he found solace in singing to himself.
A business consultant by day, Olliver trained six days a week at Aqua Gym, with dedicated morning sessions before he hit the office.
Coached by David Prattley, Olliver was supported by his wife and daughter during the UK swim, and accompanied by pilot Reg Brickell. Brickell was the master of the tides and helped calculate swim times.
It had taken just six hours for fatigue to set in during Olliver’s swim, and he thanked mental strength and sufficient preparation, including acclimatisation, for getting him through. ‘‘I basically just hit a wall and I had to work my way through. I slowed up a bit and felt really tired.’’
Olliver first started swimming at age eight and continued competing until he was at university.
After a move to the UK and when he grew tired of swimming laps in the pool, Olliver turned to open water swimming.
Before he returned to New Zealand from the UK in 2005, he had an accident that required reconstructive shoulder surgery.
It put him out of the water for over two years and he then set himself a goal to do ‘‘nonmomentous things’’.
Olliver went on to complete his first channel swim in 2013 with Western Australia’s 19.7km Rottnest Channel Swim.
In February this year he took to Lake Taupo for a 15-hour swim and in March 2014, he swam Cook Straight in eight-and-a-half hours.
In the summer months, Olliver would move his training outside and into Lyttelton Harbour.
He had his sights set on completing California’s Catalina Channel next.