Northland nurse’s swim from Poor Knights Islands to Matapouri for Voices of Hope

Ocean swimmer Kristy Fisher will be attempting an open water swim from the Poor Knight Islands to Matapouri. Photo / Michael Cunningham

A mental health nurse in Northland with past challenges of her own is taking on a 22km open-water swim to raise money for charity Voices of Hope.

Whangārei’s Kristy Fisher will be swimming unassisted on an eight to 10-hour leg from Poor Knights Islands to Matapōuri on Saturday - depending on the weather.

Despite being experienced in ocean swimming, the challenge is far from the 24-year-old’s comfort zone.

“I’m definitely terrified of the ocean,” Fisher joked.

Fisher hoped to empower, support and inspire people struggling with their mental health - something she was no stranger to in her teenage years.

She wanted to share the message that it is okay to not be okay.

“It’s very important to me personally. It’s one of those things that’s not talked about as much as it should be. There’s a lot of stigma around mental health,” Fisher said.

Each week she trains at the Whangārei Aquatic Centre and in the ocean, where she increases her swimming distance and adapts to the cold.

Fisher’s lengthy swim on Saturday requires a support team that includes a qualified medic, an official swimming observer and someone to feed her.

Because no one can touch her until she finishes, food will be passed to her via pole as she swims and any fluids she drinks will be heated to keep her warm.

Temperature is the most daunting aspect, Fisher said.

A wetsuit is not allowed so she has to opt for swimwear no longer than knee-length.

Fisher said she has “periods of panic” out in the open ocean alone as her mind plays tricks on her, making her think she has seen something beneath her.

Kristy Fisher is swimming between the Poor Knights and Matapōuri on Sunday. Photo / Michael Cunningham

When asked what it is like knowing sharks may lurk underneath, Fisher joked that she tries not to think about it.

She has no set fundraising target. Instead, the goal is to get conversations flowing about mental health.

The longest continuous solo-unassisted open-water swim ever recorded in New Zealand was 100km across the Hauraki Gulf, completed by Auckland ultra-marathon swimmer Jono Ridler.

In 2022, Ridler made history as the first person to swim from Matapōuri Beach to the Poor Knights Islands and back again.

Donate to Fisher’s cause via her Givealittle page, and follow her journey at kristy.swims on Instagram.

Brodie Stone is an education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.