Gráinne Moss will never forget being unexpectedly pulled out of the water by the scruff of her neck into a safety boat as she swam the Cook Strait crossing, only to be told a shark was circling where she had been just moments earlier.
“I’m the only person ever to have a recorded shark encounter in the Cook Strait,” shares Gráinne, 55.
The swim that never stops
Six minutes later, she hopped back in the water and swam for another four-and-a-half hours. Finishing in the dark at 9.30pm. She has also earned the nickname “jellyfish magnet” after being absolutely hammered by them while swimming more than 13 hours from Scotland to Ireland in 12.8-degree water that left her in the beginning stages of hypothermia.
But it’s all been worth it, she says, for the incredible experiences and friends she’s made in the past 38 years of swimming some of the world’s most challenging open water channels.
“It’s such an incredible community,” she tells. “I’ve barely swum a stroke alone.”
Early talent and challenge accepted
Growing up in Northern Ireland, Gráinne’s swimming talents were spotted early on. At 16, she placed ninth in the first-ever open water swimming world championships. As the youngest athlete there, fellow competitors urged her to try swimming the English Channel.
Gráinne’s first thoughts were, “You’ve got to be kidding me. I can’t do that!”
Turns out she could. At 17, she became the first Irish woman to swim the English Channel after 11 hours and 52 minutes in an ocean so rough, her brother and dad on the support boat had to be tied down for safety.
“With open-water swimming, it’s all about the work you do beforehand and the commitment to get up every morning, work hard and make sacrifices,” she explains.
“Without that, you can’t make it on the day.”
A low-key finish to an epic swim
Her memory of finishing is surprisingly low-key.
“You’ve just done something amazing, but the boats can’t get right into shore, so you climb onto a rock or beach and have to clear the water. It’s quite hard to stand up when you’ve been horizontal for nearly 12 hours. Then you get back in the water and have to swim 800 odd metres back to the boat.”
Almost four decades later, Gráinne, who moved to New Zealand in 1998, has now completed six of the famed Oceans Seven swims. A prestigious list of the most challenging open-water channel swims on the planet. Only 34 people have completed all seven.
Battling currents in Japan
This year, she flew to Japan for the final swim across the Tsugaru Strait. But despite swimming stronger and faster than expected, bad weather and a powerful seven-knot current trapped her in place for two hours.
“When I arrived at the port due to start at 4am, the captain still hadn’t decided with the weather if I would be able to swim,” she recalls.
Given the green light to attempt it, Gráinne was determined to give it her best shot. But after nearly 13 hours in the water, she made the call to abandon the swim.
“When I got out and saw the tracker, I thought, ‘Holy hell, I’m not supposed to be there. That’s not the way you go.’”
Despite not being able to tick Oceans Seven off her bucket list just yet, Gráinne is delighted with her efforts and has already applied for one of the minimal spots to attempt the swim again next year.
“It’s a real privilege,” she enthuses.
“Even when the current wasn’t in my favour, I was thinking, ‘Oh, my goodness, I’m in northern Japan, swimming in an ocean. How amazing!’”
She’s also raised more than $40,000 for Kenzie’s Gift, a charity supporting Kiwi children affected by serious illness and grief. As the former chief executive of Oranga Tamariki, it’s a cause close to Gráinne’s heart and one she chose after a chance encounter with charity founder Nic Russell many years ago at the local pools.
Lending a hand and making memories
“I lent her a swimsuit when she forgot hers,” laughs Gráinne, who is now the Ministry for Regulation chief executive.
She’s also a mother of four, who loves having her family join as a support crew on her international swims. One unforgettable highlight was swimming around Manhattan Island at night.
“I love overnight swimming – it’s so kind of spiritual and peaceful,” she shares.
“You’re out in the middle of the ocean, moon shining, no lights, nothing but you, the boat and the ocean.”
Every swim has its own adventure and that’s what keeps her diving back in.
“To have the health and ability, and still be doing it at 55, I feel very lucky to be given this unusual talent that has taken me to so many places.”
