Two 10-year-old Thames Amateur Swimming Club members have turned a month of hard work in the pool into thousands of dollars for the NZ Coastguard after taking on June’s Big Swim challenge.
Hikutaia School student Nyomi McKain swam 20 kilometres for the challenge, while St Francis School student Devyn Greene set herself an even bigger goal of 30 kilometres.
Together, the pair spent weeks fitting extra training sessions around school, family life, and other sporting commitments, all to raise money for an organisation they say helps keep New Zealanders safe on the water.
Nyomi and Devyn told The Profile they signed up for the Big Swim because they wanted to give back to a “great cause that helps a lot of people”.
“Setting a goal of 20 kilometers was a big challenge for me,” Nyomi said, “but it was also a way to show how serious I am about supporting this cause. I wanted to push myself and see what I could achieve.”
Although she has been swimming with the Thames Amateur Swimming Club for almost a year, Nyomi said this was by far the most swimming she had ever completed in such a short period.
The cold water, however, proved to be one of the toughest obstacles.
“Sometimes, the pool felt really cold, and it took a lot of courage to jump in. But I reminded myself of all the support I’ve received, and it helped me push through.”
Helping make those cold training sessions a little easier was mum Te Aroha McKain, who had a hot milo ready after every swim.
Te Aroha said she was “filled with pride” when her daughter first shared her goal, but admitted swimming 20 kilometres initially seemed daunting for a 10-year-old.
“However, seeing the determination in Nyomi’s eyes, I knew she was committed and ready to take on the ambitious goal, and we decided to support her in every way we could,” she said.
“We discussed the importance of balancing her schoolwork, training, and rest, ensuring she wouldn’t be overwhelmed.”
The Big Swim Challenge required a huge amount of commitment and training, more than Nyomi said she had ever imagined. Because the family doesn’t live locally to Thames, they had to travel three times a week from Paeroa to train with the swimming club at the Thames Centennial Pool.
For Devyn, the biggest challenge had also been finding time for the extra training alongside winter sports and other activities. She trained for six to seven hours each week, fitting in extra swims whenever needed to stay on track for her 30km goal.
Together, the pair raised $2850 for Coastguard NZ, with the funds going towards training and equipping more than 2,000 volunteers, as well as helping fuel and maintain rescue vessels across the organisation’s 62 units nationwide.
“I am incredibly proud of myself for raising over $2000 for the NZ Coastguard,” Nyomi said. “When I first set my goal of $500, I never imagined we would go so far beyond that amount. It’s been amazing, and every dollar raised feels like a huge achievement.”
Te Aroha said watching both girls dedicate themselves to the challenge had been inspiring, with their determination and willingness to give back making their families incredibly proud.
“They have embraced every aspect of this challenge with enthusiasm and determination, and their efforts have not gone unnoticed,” she said.
BY KELLEY TANTAU
