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In today's SwimScape Open Water Swimming Podcast, we're joined by a pretty special lady, Sarah Polar.

Originally from the UK, Sarah now calls Northland, and Whangārei in particular, home. She's no stranger to a big challenge, having already completed five of the legendary seven Ocean Seven swims, putting her firmly among a pretty elite group of marathon swimmers.

But Sarah is about much more than just ticking off big swims. She's a fantastic driver of the open water swimming community, a proud ambassador for the Poor Knights swim, and someone who genuinely gets behind the sport and the people involved in it.

She's passionate, she's adventurous, she's a great supporter of others and, quite simply, an all-round cool lady.

So, today we're looking forward to hearing about her swimming journey, some of those incredible Ocean Seven adventures, life up in Northland, and what makes her tick.

Welcome to the SwimScape Podcast, Sarah!

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Today, we’re chatting with a man who has helped thousands of swimmers discover some of the most incredible open water swimming destinations around the world - Simon Murie, the founder of SwimTrek.

Originally from Australia and now based in the UK, Simon’s journey into the world of swimming adventures is anything but conventional. Before founding SwimTrek, he spent years working overseas in the mining industry, while using his spare time to organise open water swimming trips for himself and others. What started as a passion for adventure eventually grew into one of the world’s best-known open water swimming holiday businesses.

Simon is also a solo English Channel swimmer and a swim coach, and he hasn’t left the adventures behind just because he founded a successful business. He still gets out there guiding some of the tours himself.

His own swimming achievements include crossing the River Volta in Ghana in 2009, setting an Australian record for swimming across the Strait of Gibraltar, and swimming to the Isle of Wight in 2010. Having travelled to around 60 countries in search of extraordinary swims, Simon now spends much of his time scouting new destinations and dreaming up the next great SwimTrek adventure.

And perhaps it all started with a simple introduction to swimming from his mum, in a local river - proof that you never quite know where a love of the water might take you.

Welcome to the SwimScape Open Water Swimming Podcast!

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Our guest is Marcus Bristol, the new owner of the Beach Series, which takes place at Takapuna Beach over the summer. For those who know the Beach Series, you’ll know it’s about much more than just swimming. It’s about getting people outdoors, bringing communities together, and encouraging people of all ages and abilities to get involved.

Marcus has a background in events and community services, so he’s no stranger to bringing people together and making things happen. We’ll chat about his journey into event management, what attracted him to taking over the Beach Series, and what he hopes to bring to the event in the years ahead.

We’ll also get into his own swimming journey, including the experiences he’s shared in the water with his daughter — because sometimes the best part of swimming isn’t the distance you cover, but the people you share it with.

And, of course, we can’t have Marcus on the show without talking about his rather impressive love affair with Hawaiian shirts. We’re not entirely sure whether the shirts are a fashion statement, a lifestyle choice, or a permanent state of summer, but we’ll get to the bottom of that!

So, whether you’re a regular at the Beach Series, a keen open-water swimmer, or someone who simply enjoys getting out there and being part of a community, this should be a great conversation.

Let’s get into it. Welcome to the podcast, Marcus Bristol!