Te Puke's Quinn Boyle to swim Lake Taupo for cancelled school fundraiser

Quinn Boyle, 14, in swimming action. Photo / Supplied

A Te Puke boy will be tackling a massive swimming goal in order to raise funds for his old primary school.

The Otamarakau School's Surf Fishing Competition is its main annual fundraising event. It usually raises about $15,000 annually for this small rural school which has a roll of 80.

The fundraiser helps to subsidise the many activities and resources that the Ministry of Education's budget does not cover.

The school decided to cancel its annual event in light of Covid-19 and restrictions around mass gatherings, as it drew about 400-600 fishermen from across New Zealand.

Quinn Boyle, a 14-year-old from Otamarakau, now attends Hamilton Boys' High School as a boarder but has strong ties to the school and the community.

He approached the school and asked if he could fundraise for them, because he knew the loss of revenue from the fishing competition would have an impact.

As an open water swimmer, Quinn had decided to swim the length of Lake Taupō, 40.2km, as a solo swimmer because of the ban on mass gatherings.

Quinn said he had been disappointed for the school and wanted to give back to the community that raised him.

"It's a way to thank my primary school which taught me to swim when I was 5 years old in their little pool."

He was making the 40.2km attempt under the watchful eye of New Zealand Open Water official selector Philip Rush this week.

If he completes the lake swim he will be one of the youngest open water swimmers to do so.

Quinn said he was nervous and excited.

Quinn Boyle is swimming the length of Lake Taupō to raise money for Otamarakau School. Photo / Supplied

"It will be long and cold. Especially when I begin swimming at three in the morning, then will swim continuously for 12-14 hours.

"I will get tired and I am only allowed to wear togs, no wetsuit. That is the solo swim ruling.

"Also, I think I'll get hungry, so I want to be fed a lot by my support official Philip Rush."

Quinn said he was training with swimming and even more swimming for distance.

"I'm also learning how to feed in the water from a feeding pole as I am not allowed to touch a boat or kayak as part of the challenge."

He said if he could help with something he trained hard for and enjoyed, then he felt good about supporting others in need.

"We need a positive support story in these times of negativity surrounding coronavirus. Every time you look at the news it's all doom and gloom at present."

When asked what he loved about his old school, Quinn said all the opportunities that it provided over the years.

"I did learn to swim in their tiny 10m pool - now look what I can do."

Quinn would like to thank his swimming coaches Sheryl Mclay (Ocean Shorebreak), Matt and John (Hamilton Aquatics) and the Pukehina Surf Lifesaving Club for their ongoing support and mentoring.

Otamarakau School principal Andrea Dance said the fishing competition had been running for more than 20 years.

"It's our biggest fundraiser as we are a very small school who rely on this to help assist us in giving our tamariki opportunities."

She said hearing that Quinn would be swimming for the school was extremely humbling.

"As a school and principal, I was blown away at this suggestion and cannot wait to hear how Quinn goes.

"It's an early and cold start for this young man next week as he tackles an incredible 40.2km swim starting at 3am in nothing but togs with the intention to give back to a school where he started his swimming.

"We are so very proud of him and behind him all the way."

She said as well as being an ex-pupil of Otamarakau, his grandmother and mother were educators at the school, so he had witnessed first-hand how much the fundraiser means.

"To be honest, we need some good news with the current state our nation is undergoing.

"Quinn's event is one that requires an enormous amount of dedication and commitment, a lot like the hours involved in the fishing comp.

"It's also a solo event which sets it apart from mass gatherings. Therefore it's enabled Quinn to be able to think of others and the Covid impact on a place he has a strong connection with.

"We have been inspired by Quinn and the amount of training he has been undertaking."

She said just recently Quinn swam from Motiti to Tauranga. He was also recognised in Taupo at the Across the Lake Swim winning his age group in the under 16s and coming second overall.

"This isn't the first charity Quinn has undertaken, showing he thinks about others and for a 14-year-old this in itself is admirable.

"He did another swimming event recently supported by Hamilton Boys' High School ... to raise funds for White Island and fire victims of Australia."

■ Quinn has a Givealittle page where people can donate towards his Otamarakau School fundraiser - https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/student-tackles-402km-swim-across-lake-taupo