Timon 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 started coaching kids while he was at university. He worked at the old TSW Pool until it closed in 2017, and then for Capital Swim Club. In 2017 he co-founded the fun and friendly Bonobos gym in Lyall Bay for kids and adults (including Strength, Mobility, and Balance classes – great cross-training for swimmers!).

Timon talks about leaving kids' competitive swim coaching, opening the gym, and his many years of running adult swim squads. We discuss the joys and challenges of running squads, his top swimming tips, teaching different ages, personalities, and abilities, and how creating a friendly space helps people to learn and have fun so they want to keep coming back.

Visit the Bonobos gym website

Visit the Bonobos Swim Squad website

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Support the podcast via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Contact me at swimchatswithshona at gmail dot com

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James 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, ⁠@sponge_ecology⁠, where he has over 40,000 followers.

James has scuba dived around the world researching this ancient, vibrant, intriguing, but sometimes overlooked marine species. (We both agree that charismatic megafauna – e.g. dolphins, whales, sharks – often get a disproportionate amount of attention.)

In this episode we talk about the characteristics and role of sea sponges, where you can find them, and how they're responding to marine heatwaves and increased levels of sedimentation (e.g. Wellington's current wastewater treatment plant disaster).

James also talks about life as a marine biologist: diving in some of the world's coolest places, teaching the next generation of marine scientists, and sharing information to help people better understand and advocate for our underwater world.

Glossary:

Nudibranch: soft-bodied marine gastropods (sea slugs)

Bioactive: something that has a biological effect on living organisms

Spicules: needle-like elements produced by sponges to provide structural support and protection against predators

Glass sponges: sponges with skeletons made out of spicules (see above)

Image: James's award-winning 'sponge point of view' photo taken with an Insta360 camera from inside a barrel sponge in Indonesia. (James Bell)

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Visit ⁠StokedNZ⁠ for your towelies and get 15% off at checkout with the code SWIMCHATS

Support the podcast via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Swim Chats on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Contact me at swimchatswithshona at gmail dot com

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Thanks for listening! :-)

Corrina 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 teenager at the pool to setting 20km+ targets in the open water. She swam across the Cook Strait (Te Moana-o-Raukawa) in December 2021, after a thwarted first go in March of the same year. She swam Foveaux Strait (Te Ara a Kiwa) in 2023 and Lake Taupō in 2024. She also completed a circumnavigation of Rangitoto Island in 2025. (You can read her excellent write-ups of her big swims on her blog, Goggles at Dawn.)

We also talk more generally about how to stay positive during very long (or very cold) swims, technique, training goals and swim routines, and feeding plans.

This month Corrina is training for the NZ Ice Swimming Championships in July and is also taking part in Coastguard NZ's Big Swim fundraiser – you can sponser her via her fundraising page.

Because Corrina has done so much swimming (24km in the pool and sea per week is not uncommon), I asked a lot of questions and this episode is about 90 minutes long. It's a good one – grab a hot beverage of your choice and enjoy!

The photo shows Corrina swimming an ice mile (about 1.6km) at St Bathans in 2023. (Corrina Connor)

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Visit ⁠⁠StokedNZ⁠⁠ for your towelies and get 15% off at checkout with the code SWIMCHATS

Support the podcast via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Swim Chats on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Contact me at swimchatswithshona at gmail dot com

Hit 'Follow' so you don't miss an episode.

Thanks for listening! :-)