Winds put paid to swimmer's dream

CRAIG SIMCOX/The Dominion Post

NOT THIS TIME: Long-distance swimmer Mike Bodger ponders his attempt at becoming the oldest person to swim Cook Strait.

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Strong winds have robbed Mike Bodger of his dream of becoming the oldest person to swim across Cook Strait.

The 60-year-old Whakatane man was about six kilometres from Ohau Point on Wellington's south coast at about 4pm yesterday when he had to be pulled on to his support boat as the choppy seas left him exhausted.

"It was going so well and then the weather just turned so fast. We got so close, but it just wasn't supposed to be," he said after arriving at Mana Marina about 6.45pm.

He has already ruled out another attempt, but his friends reckon they can change his mind.

"It took me 10 months to train for this and it is a lot of hard work. I don't know if I could do it all over again. My friends think they can convince me, but I don't know."

Wearing leopard skin-design Speedos, Mr Bodger set out about 7.30am yesterday, 5km north of Perano Point, at the top of the South Island.

The conditions were "perfect" and he was making good progress, but he slowed as winds reached 25 knots.

"I was getting pushed back towards the South Island and there was nothing I could do about it."

His support crew had plenty of jellybeans, honey sandwiches and warm water to help but that could not beat the weather.

"My support crew have been absolutely fantastic and I really wanted to do it for them, but I have discovered first-hand why the Cook Strait is a very hard piece of water to swim."

He was challenging the record held by Pam Dickson, who made the swim at age 55 in 9 hours, 23 minutes and 10 seconds in March.

Sixty-four people have swum the strait since the first successful attempt in 1962. Photo: CRAIG SIMCOX

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