Jono Ridler has swum almost 100km to raise awareness about our oceans.
This week Ridler swam for 33 hours straight across the Hauraki Gulf, breaking the previous New Zealand record of 80.8km! That’s like swimming from your house to your grandma’s house and back again, twice!
Jono started his swim on Tuesday morning and pushed through the night to finish on Wednesday evening, when he emerged from the water and made it onto the sandy beach. He had to battle against strong winds and choppy waves in the final stages of his swim, which made it even more challenging.
But why did Jono do this? Well, he cares deeply about the environment and was concerned about the declining state of the Hauraki Gulf. So, he wanted to raise awareness about it and show how important it is to protect and restore it. He even swam unassisted, which means he didn’t touch a boat or get any help along the way. Can you imagine how tough that must have been?
Jono’s swim was organized through Live Ocean, and he had some pretty cool visitors throughout the day. Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, champion sailors and founders of Live Ocean, stopped by to show their support and admiration for Jono’s amazing accomplishment. They said it took huge courage and that they were in awe of his grit and determination.
After leaving the water, Jono was looked at by St John Ambulance medical staff, just to make sure he was okay. And guess what? Jono’s swim was more than 99km! That’s almost as long as driving from one side of your country to the other!
So, kiddos, let’s give Jono a big round of applause for his amazing accomplishment and for caring so much about our environment. Who knows, maybe one day you can accomplish something amazing too!
