Swimmer takes on Lake Taupo¯
Liana Smith in bid to swim Triple Crown
Just a small-town girl with big dreams. That’s how marathon swimmer Liana Smith, 24, describes herself after swimming 40.2km on Friday last week, from Waihi to the Lake Taupo¯ Yacht Club, the length of the lake. Without a wetsuit.
In a bid to swim the Triple Crown (Lake Taupo¯, Cook Strait, Foveaux Strait), she is set to swim across the Cook Strait on Sunday, also without a wetsuit.
“We’ve got to catch the neap tide (tide of minimal range). That’s when all the attempts are made.”
Training in Lake Wakatipu, where the water temperature is around 13C, Liana says she was lucky to squeeze in Lake Taupo¯ at the end of the marathon swimming season.
Part of the hurry is Liana’s ability to book in marathon coach Phil Rush, who was the first person to complete a double-crossing of Lake Taupo¯. Rush holds the record for the fastest swim the length of Lake Taupo¯ (10 hours and 14 minutes set on March 10, 1985) and is the world record holder for the fastest two and threeway swim of the English Channel.
“He’s the Richie McCaw of marathon swimming,” said Liana.
Before Covid-19, Rush was booked up by marathon swimmers from overseas who were completing the Oceans Seven challenge of seven marathon-length open water channel swims.
Swimming the Triple Crown has been a longtime dream of Liana’s. The idea formed in the early days of a shortlived competitive swimming career. When she was 17, Liana had a devastating setback when it was discovered she had fractured her back. She went from training 26 hours a week to being on full bed rest and learning basic motor skills again. The New Zealand title holder and record holder battled with mental health issues during this time.
“It took a toll on me, and I lost who I was for a number of years including my love of the water.”
Fundraising for mental health charity the Key To Life Liana has raised $4670 so far for the I Am Hope campaign and was chuffed to receive a call from Key to Life founder Mike King.
“I know full well how necessary this support is for young Kiwis to help get them back out there following their passions.”
At 4.30am Liana set off from Waihi at the southern end of Lake Taupo¯ and straight away found herself in a battle with lake weed. She says it put her into a really weird mental space. After all the excitement of finally setting off, the weed set off a fear of failure.
“Why do I think I can do this? What the hell am I doing?
“This lasted for the first 10km, then I was in a good headspace where I literally think of nothing but one stroke, two stroke, take a breath.”
She said the lake conditions were absolutely perfect, with water temperature sitting at a warm 17.3C, not a breath of wind, and the absence of drag from a sideways current that can be present from Rangatira Point towards the Waikato River.
Around 2pm there was excitement on board the support boat containing mother Rosie Smith and coach Rush. Liana was doing so well that Rush thought she might be on track to break the record for the fastest female to swim the marathon distance of Lake Taupo¯ . This record is currently held by Anna Marshall, who in 2008 did the swim in 11 hours 26 minutes.
“We’ve stopped her and fed her every half hour and she has been smiling and laughing, there’ve been no complaints.
“I’m about to hop in the IRB [inflatable rescue boat] and kick her ass.”
In the end Liana came in at 12 hours 33 minutes, and said breaking a record had always been at the back of her mind but wasn’t the most important thing. She came in just after 5pm to a welcome by proud friends and family. Liana is set to swim the Cook Strait in around 10 days, and will attempt Foveaux Strait next summer.
You can make a donation to Give A Little page @MarathonSwimmingFor MentalHealth, and follow Liana’s bid for the Triple Crown on Facebook page @SwimForSomething.