the second act

The Good Guys

When a mate needed to call on St John during lockdown, it gave Parnell swim coach Rick Wells a bold idea

In March, five men, average age 53, will dive into the ocean for a swim that will not only challenge themselves but also raise money for the St John New Zealand ambulance service.

Rick Wells (Ngāi Tahu), former Commonwealth Games swimmer, triathlete and swim coach, Remuera real estate agent Richard Hart, café owner Karim Rostami, former All Black Ian Jones, and businessman David Mitchell are the squad. Parnell-based Wells coaches Rostami and Mitchell at his Olympic Pool swim squads, Hart and Jones are both mates who he knows are fit, keen swimmers who like a challenge.

And what a challenge — 100km, much of it open water, swimming through the night. “At night we’ll have lower coloured lights on the support boats,” says Wells. “Not bright white lights that may attract, ah, the big fish.”

The plan is to take the plunge on the best day for weather and tides between February 23 and March 6. The team will depart Great Barrier Is around 2-3pm, and arrive into Takapuna Beach around 4pm the following day. The swimmers aim to do 30-minute relays in the water, with one in the water at all times. As much as Wells would just like to hit the water and start swimming on the appointed day — “Just get in and do it” — there’s a comprehensive list of things to be ticked off between now and then. Wells’ To Do’s include ongoing consultation with the harbourmaster and Coastguard; sponsors; working out food and nutrition on the swim; the support crew needed for each swimmer. The squad will have a small flotilla — a support boat will be around 200m in front, while inflatables stay near the swimmer.

“I’m trying not to overthink it,” he says, fresh out of a meeting with the squad and a 24-point agenda covered off. “But you can’t plan for everything. Like someone was just asking about the currents. We’re there for 24 hours so we’re going to get a current anyway. We’ll probably head north a bit at the start. But yes, there’ll be a current.”

To prepare, the five have committed to a training programme of three to four swims during the week of up to 4.5km, and a longer one of five to six at the weekend. “We’re pushing ourselves but you’ve got to remember it’s not a race, it’s endurance.

“St John challenge themselves every day, in unique situations. And they’re under financial pressure. The least we can do is challenge ourselves.”

Only 70 per cent funded by government, St John is a charity and must raise the funds to cover the gap between its grants from the state, and the cost of providing its service. The agency receives more than 540,000 111 calls and responds to around 420,000 patients a year. Covid-19 has impacted and it is working to find significant savings to offset an increasingly large deficit.

“St John is delighted to be the chosen charity for this challenge,” says Andrew Boyd, St John North Island region general manager. “We’re incredibly grateful to the team of swimmers who have committed to raising funds for more emergency vehicles, helping us continue delivering the vital health services we provide for Kiwis across the country.”

While fighting fit, several of the squad have had close encounters with St John. “David had to call on St John twice during lockdown, which gave me the idea,” says Wells. “So I called together a bunch of mates, and we’re doing it.” They also exemplify resilience: Rostami arrived in New Zealand as a teenage refugee from Kabul. Having suffered polio as a child, he only learned to swim five years ago and with a strongly philanthropic nature, has been a keen participant in fundraising swims since. For Wells, “as I get older, I think of ways to keep challenging myself. Yes, I can swim. Can I do the distance? Yes. Night swimming? Well there’s a challenge.

“We’re not 21 anymore. We’re a bunch of middle-aged men, one who’s had polio. And who knows what Mother Nature will throw at us?” — Kirsty Cameron