Oct 18, 20261h 5mS2
Sarah Thomas is the only person in the world to have swum four ways non-stop across the English Channel. Her quadruple crossing in 2019, at the age of 37, was over 200km and took 54 hours. Even more incredibly, Sarah...
sports
Swim Chats
Hosted by Shona Riddell · sports · EN
About this Podcast:
Every swimmer has a story to tell. Writer and swimmer Shona Riddell chats to marathon swimmers, dippers, coaches, ocean experts, and more. Whether you’re a swimmer yourself, or just interested in stories about the sea and people expanding their comfort zones, you'll enjoy these swim chats. Please hit the 'Follow' button so you don’t miss an episode, leave a star rating, and share with friends.Enjoying the podcast? Support it on patreon.com/swimchats, or buy me a coffee via https://ko-fi.com/swimchats
Pitch Analysis
Required Pod Score for this podcast. PitchCentric checks your profile against host openness, topical fit, and audience signals before you generate a pitch.
Contact path
Verified email
Booking probability
33%
Guest openness
Selective
80/100
Required Score
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Signup to Generate a PitchQuestions about Swim Chats
What is Swim Chats about?
Every swimmer has a story to tell. Writer and swimmer Shona Riddell chats to marathon swimmers, dippers, coaches, ocean experts, and more. Whether you’re a swimmer yourself, or just interested in stories about the sea and people expanding their comfort zones, you'll enjoy these swim chats.
Who hosts Swim Chats?
Swim Chats is hosted by Shona Riddell. The show has published 57 episodes to date.
What has Swim Chats covered recently?
Recent episodes include "Sarah Thomas on her 4-way English Channel swim and the call of open water" (18 October 2026, 65 minutes), "From fear of the water to swim coaching, with Benoit Lavigne" (4 October 2026, 38 minutes), and "Introducing NZ's new freshwater swim festival" (20 September 2026, 28 minutes).
How often does Swim Chats publish?
Swim Chats publishes roughly every two weeks, with episodes averaging 53 minutes across 57 episodes.
How hard is it to get booked on Swim Chats?
Booking probability for Swim Chats is 33%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. Swim Chats requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. Swim Chats's contact route on record: verified email.
Who should pitch Swim Chats?
The strongest fits for Swim Chats are Fitness, Golf & Recreation. Swim Chats has a sports audience.
About the host
Shona Riddell hosts Swim Chats, a sports podcast with 57 episodes published.
Verified host email: ████████@████.comSign in to unlock →
Recent episodes
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Oct 4, 202638 minS2Benoit (Ben) Lavigne is a Wellington swim coach. Through his company, Outpace Swimming, he offers private coaching, swim squads, video analysis, clinics, open water training, and swim camps. Ben is also the Head Coach...
Sep 20, 202628 minS2What : Ignite Freshwater Swim Fest Where: Lake Pupuke / Pupukemoana, Auckland When: February 13–14, 2027 Scott Rice is back on Swim Chats this month to talk about a brand-new swim event coming next summer: the Ignite...
Sep 13, 202630 minS2When Wellington’s school pools began disappearing, Steve Hind decided to do something about it. The result was the Aquadome a thriving community swimming facility that opened in 2018. In 2009, Steve noticed a decline...
Sep 2, 202649 minS2SwimRun events involve a consecutive series of swims and runs, with no stops or gear changes. You can be tethered to another person, or do it solo. The swims are open water and the runs are on trails, across islands or...
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Aug 19, 20261h 13mS2Congratulations to Gráinne on her Oceans Seven!!!! Gráinne Moss is an ultramarathon swimmer from Wellington, New Zealand who recently completed the Oceans Seven, a series of gruelling swims around the globe. It's been a...
Jul 15, 202658 minS2Timon Wilkinson is the co-owner of Bonobos gym for kids and adults in Wellington and runs weekly Bonobos Swim Squads at Freyberg, WRAC, Te Ngaengae, and Te Huia Pools. Timon was a competitive swimmer from nine to 15 and...
Jul 1, 202653 minS2James Bell is a Professor of Marine Biology at Victoria University of Wellington – Te Herenga Waka, and a huge fan of sea sponges. Check out his colourful underwater photos and videos on his Instagram page...
Jun 25, 20261h 24mS2Corrina Connor is a Wellington ultramarathon swimmer, ice swimmer, musician, and the MC of Wellington's popular Sea Panels at Te Matapihi central library. In this episode we talk about Corrina's swim journey from a...
Jun 18, 202656 minS2At the time of recording, Eddie was recovering from a mountain biking accident so we talk about that at the start of the episode. All the best with your recovery, Eddie! Eddie Spearing lives in Wānaka on New Zealand's...
May 26, 202644 minS2Poetry captures the sensory delights and desires (and sometimes death and despair) of swimming and the allure of open water. In this episode, returning guest Sinéad Kehoe and I take turns reading some of our favourite...
May 21, 202648 minS2Zoe Studd is the co-founder and ‘Chief Enthusiasm Officer’ of Mountains to Sea Wellington and the Project Lead of Love Rimurimu. She helps people of all ages to connect with marine and freshwater environments, and leads...
May 8, 20261 hourS2NZ author Nicola McCloy’s new book ‘Jump In: An Insider’s Guide to New Zealand’s Best Beaches, Lakes, Rivers, Pools and Hot Springs’ was published in late 2025, with stunning photos and tips on the best places to swim...
Apr 22, 202643 minS2This episode was originally released on 11/04/25. Our first 'swim history' episode! Featuring special guest John Hancock, a marathon swimmer and the organiser of this year's ANZAC Day swim in Wellington. In this episode...
Apr 13, 202640 minS2Wen Erh Hsu completed the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming (English Channel, Catalina Channel and 20 Bridges in Manhattan) within one season in 2024. She is the first Taiwanese person to swim solo across the English...
Apr 6, 202658 minS2Seti Afoa is the Director of Samoa Events , a swim business that offers tours, events, and retreats in Moananui (the Pacific Ocean). Seti was born in Samoa, in a coastal village on the island of Upolu. As was common for...
Mar 25, 202651 minS2This episode was published on March 26 to coincide with Epilepsy Awareness Day ( #PurpleDay ). Kate Wareham is a Wellington pool and open water swimmer, the CEO of Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA), and last year she was...
Mar 18, 202659 minS2Dr Abi Lafbery has a PhD in outdoor swimming from Lancaster University in the UK. Her thesis focussed on the health, thoughts, experiences and behaviours of wild/open water swimmers, the health of the water they swim...
Mar 5, 202659 minS2Dougal Dunlop is one of Wellington's swim legends and has been swimming and coaching for over 50 years. Now in his 70s, he continues to coach at Freyberg Pool and swims at Oriental Bay all year round – most mornings...
Episode #3
Bryn Williams on building confidence, feeling the rhythm, and enjoying our ocean playground
Feb 23, 20261h 1mS2Bryn Williams is a Wellington ocean swimmer and is a great person to swim with. He helps nervous newbies (like me, a few years ago) and encourages us to have fun in the water whether it's jumping off the pontoons or...
Recent guests
Recent guests on Swim Chats. Study who booked and why before you pitch.
S
Scott Rice
Co-founder and President, Riverbend Energy Group
I
Ian Jones
family law attorney and minor’s counsel, Mathematics Education Centre at Loughborough University
J
John Hancock
Libertarian Candidate running for Ohio Congress in District 1, West Plains Water Coalition
J
James Bell
Head of Corporate Communications and Public Relations, Victoria University of Wellington – Te Herenga Waka
Best industries to pitch Swim Chats for
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