Coach Sue Pilkington's swimming sessions have brought together a wide group of swimmers of all abilities - many with stories about how the regular workouts are enriching their lives. Photo: RNZ/ Leonard Powell
[b]A morning with Sue's swim squad
There's something in the water at the West Wave aquatic centre in Auckland.
On the morning that First Up visits, cars are flooding into the car park, and 25 people are queuing outside the automatic door, which springs open at 5:30am on the dot.
Inside at the far end of the pools, Sue Pilkington is getting ready to coach her first group of the day. She has been coaching here for 29 years, and despite the early hour, is full of beans.
"I start at six, but I get here about 5:30, cause some of these crazy people wanna get in early and have a big warm up because they do big events and stuff."
Pilkington's alarm goes off at 4:30am, not that you'd know it from the energy pouring out of her.
"I love it, because I've met the [friends] I've made here. I mean, it's not just here, we meet outside too. We do events, and I see other people make friendships. It's amazing, it's fun."
Here at West Wave, Pilkington coaches close to 100 swimmers of all levels, from elite triathletes, Iron Man and open water competitors, to relative newcomers.
"If you can swim 200m of freestyle, you can join up."
Her three squads run at 6am, 7am and 1pm, three days a week, with five different lanes, depending on the speed and skill of the swimmer. She also trains the Bethells Beach Surf Life Saving Patrol crew, keeping them fit to guard swimmers from the gnarly West Coast waves.
Pilkington coaching the 6am squad earlier this week. Photo: RNZ/ Leonard Powell
6am squad member Claire Louise Hobson has just arrived. She recently completed a Cook Strait crossing.
"Your mind kind of goes blank after a while. Cook Strait is 23km in a straight line, but because of the tides and currents you end up swimming between 25 to maybe 35.
To keep moving, Hobson said she creates music playlists in her head, often looping one song on repeat.
Her go-to song, you ask? Something classical perhaps?: Try 2000's rap, instead.
"I'm an Eminem fan, so 'Lose Yourself'. Lose yourself in the moment, you own it!" she says.
And if you thought a cold shower was tough, try swimming in the ice, like Susan Sherwan.
"There was a crazy guy in South Africa that started it all in 2016, and New Zealand has just really embraced it. We've got more and more numbers every year doing it, and every year I've got slightly crazier in what I've done.
"The last ice champs I swam 2.1 kilometres and 2.6° degrees, so pretty cold! It took me 46 minutes. I felt like a popsicle when I came out.
"It's a lot of fun, because people have to really support each other. After you've done an ice swim, particularly the longer ones, you can't dress yourself, you have to be dressed by someone else. Your fingers are like sausages, basically, and they just don't do up anything or pull anything on."
The stories at Sue's Swim Squad were endless - Tony Colon started swimming after nearly drowning as a 40 year old - 15 years on, he comes along with his teenage daughter.
Courtney Armstrong had recently overcome her crippling fear of sharks to complete The Rangitoto Swim.
The common thread was a shared love and respect for Sue.
7am squad member Liz Stone has been coming here for 20 years, and said swimming is in her blood.
"My grandad was one of the first people to do the Chelsea Swim in the 1910s, from Herne Bay to the Chelsea sugar refinery. And then my dad was a swimmer, and I'm a swimmer and my daughter's a swimmer.
"When I was 19, I was in a very bad road smash. My dad changed his hours at work and started to take me to the pool for rehab, and that got me into swimming.
"History unfortunately turned a full circle when my daughter was 14, she had a bad accident and I started bringing her to squad.
"Dad and I both swam the Rangitoto to St Helliers swim in the '80s, and a couple of years ago, my daughter swim as well. We wouldn't be doing that without Sue keeping us going."
Swim coach Sue Pilkington (left) with long-time swimmer Maria Sunde, who credits the workouts for having a huge effect on her health. Photo: RNZ/ Leonard Powell
Finally, fellow 7am squad member Maria Sunde shared her remarkable story about living with multiple sclerosis.
"I used to run marathons for a long time and swim. So as things went by slowly I'd fall over. Only about six years ago, seven years ago, I got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
"They say that I actually had it for about 30 years, but with the swimming and everything kept everything on hold until I got to 60. Sue and everyone has just been so supportive of me, so I come down here everyday.
"I've been (training) with Sue for 20 odd years, and maybe if I hadn't been doing the swimming, which is really low impact, I'd be in a wheelchair by now.
"We've had people in my lane with heart transplants, strokes. One guy actually had a spinal injury, and he was ... flat on his back, and he got out and Sue helped him get swimming. And he's now walking.
"Sue is just so friendly to everyone and encourages us all to give it a go."
Anyone who can swim more than 200m is welcome at Sue Pilkington's swim sessions, at the West Wave aquatic centre in Henderson. Photo: RNZ/ Leonard Powell
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