Bill Knobloch of Taradale in his 80's is swimming at Ocean Spa pool fundraising for the NZ Coastguard. Photo / Warren Buckland
Bill Knobloch of Taradale in his 80's is swimming at Ocean Spa pool fundraising for the NZ Coastguard. Photo / Warren Buckland
Hundreds of Kiwis nationwide will take to the waters this week to swim and raise money for the New Zealand Coastguard.
One of them is 82-year-old Napier man Bill Knobloch, who, despite not having full function in one of his legs, has set himself the challenge of swimming up to 30km within the month. Mitchell Hageman reports.
Stroke by stroke, Bill Knobloch uses the force of his upper body strength to glide graciously through the water at Napier’s Ocean Spa on a cold Friday morning.
Most people recognise him for his bright red swim cap and Coastguard wristband. They know he’s a man on a mission.
“The body’s going ok. I get a little bit tired, but that’s not unusual for someone my age,” he told Hawke’s Bay Today.
Like many others, Knobloch is raising money for the Coastguard’s annual Big Swim appeal. He’s making an effort to swim 20km within the month, but he hopes to stretch it a tad further.
“I’ll probably end up doing 30, but I didn’t think I could. I thought if I did 20, I’d put that down as the goal, and if I did more than that, I would.
“I’ve never swum competitively, but it’s not really about me anyway; it’s about the Coastguard.”
The ex-Pacific Surf Life Saver isn’t letting a historical leg injury slow him down either. A major car accident in 1978 “smashed” up his left leg, and he uses a small foam block between his legs to help him stay on course.
“I’ve got a stiff left leg from the knee down and no ankle. If I try to use my foot, I go up and down like a rudder.”
To reach his daily target, Knobloch does about 60 lengths, which is roughly 1.5km. Depending on how many times he stops, it takes him about 40 minutes.
“Swimming is a form of exercise for me because I can’t run and it’s a non-impact type thing. It just helps me keep a little bit fit, and it’s a good social thing as well.”
Despite his leg injury, Bill Knobloch uses his upper body strength and a foam block to help him glide through the water. Photo / Warren Buckland
He said his family were “very proud” of him for his latest endeavour, and supporters have already donated more than $1000.
“I’ve got a little wristband that says ‘The Big Swim’ on it, and people come up and ask me all the time what it’s about. I’ve had some very generous donations.”
A Coastguard spokesperson said 60% of its funds needed to come from the generosity of the public.
“We’re immensely grateful to people like Bill, who have challenged themselves this month to swim as far as they can while raising money for our organisation.
“The funds raised through The Big Swim will be used to ensure our volunteers can keep Kiwis safe on the water. This includes helping to train and equip Coastguard’s 2,000+ volunteers with the skills they need, as well as fuelling and maintaining 100 rescue vessels and two search planes across 63 locations nationwide, so we’re always ready to help when needed.”
Knobloch said the Coastguard did an “amazing job” for the community.
“We only often hear about their work if it’s a fatal situation or really serious situation, but those guys are out there time and time again picking people up.
“They did a great job in [Cyclone] Gabrielle, same as the surf lifesavers, so I think it’s a very worthy cause.”
Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in January 2023. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
