About me

I’ve always loved the water, but as a kid I wasn’t fast or particularly coordinated so I mostly sat on the sidelines during school swims, or jumped in for a play at the end.

In 2021 and in my mid-40s, I started dipping in the sea because it felt good. I met others who enjoyed it too and we continued year-round.

In 2022, I tried to swim freestyle in the sea and didn’t get much further than splashing a lot and inhaling saltwater! I signed up for a couple of private lessons and the coach’s friendly encouragement helped me progress from blowing nose bubbles underwater to swimming my first pool lap. That felt good, but tiring. (Mainly because I didn’t know how to manage my breathing while swimming.)

I joined a swim squad at the pool and learned how to swim for an hour – not particularly well, but I could do it. I progressed from the slow lane to the medium lane. I also started swimming in the sea with other people, going out of my depth in open water for the first time. Fifty metres, then 100, then 200… and one day I swam the 2.5km round trip around Pt Jerningham Lighthouse, a milestone for Welly swimmers. That felt amazing!

Armed with my new skills, I started signing up for swim camps and discovered SwimMastery, a method where you learn to swim with cues that put your body in the right position, avoiding strain and injury to the shoulders, and swimming more efficiently. I quickly improved and progressed from the medium lane to the fast lane (although which lane I’m in depends on the squad!) and started swimming further in new places, having adventures and doing things I’d never imagined because I wasn’t ‘sporty’ at school.

I love the connection to the water, the feeling of the cold sea, and the social chats afterwards. I completed a Master’s degree in science communication in 2024 with a focus on marine biology and ocean swimming, where I wrote, ran events (like swimming with seaweed), and swam to raise funds for good causes. I also started a podcast called Swim Chats where I interview a range of swimmers, coaches, and marine scientists.

I trained as a SwimMastery coach to improve my own swimming and to help others like me who want friendly encouragement, to gradually expand their comfort zone, stay curious, and hear evidence-based advice on how to swim faster with ease and joy. Whether you’re looking for remote coaching, video analysis, a guided swim, written programmes or something else, book with me today.

Testimonials

“Shona has been great at coaching the Swim Mastery Way, a different approach to swim training.  She is always positive and helpful, clearly pointing out useful techniques.” – Ann

“Shona has gently guided and encouraged my learning of the Swim Mastery method for two years with kindness and enthusiasm. My swimming has transformed enormously in this time – no sore shoulders anymore and every swim is enjoyable.” – Diane

I've been writing for as long as I can remember. Both of my parents were writers, so reading and writing were definitely encouraged while I was growing up.

My first article was published in 2000 in the NZ Herald, a travel piece about a year I spent in Berlin working as an English teacher. I loved the buzz of seeing my writing in print, and in 2002 I completed a Graduate Diploma in Journalism from AUT. After that I worked as a magazine writer, web writer/editor, and content creator for companies such as TVNZ, Trade Me, Expatica, and Bauer Media (publisher of lifestyle magazines such as Taste and NEXT).

My first book was published in 2014: The Tale of the Anzac Tortoise, illustrated by former NZ Defence Force artist Matt Gauldie. We created it to mark the centenary of the Gallipoli landings. The book includes my family story about a tortoise from Gallipoli who was brought to NZ after World War I by my great-great aunt, Nora Hughes, who served as a nurse in Cairo. It was well-received and featured on Newshub's 'Great War Stories'  series in 2015. 

My second book was published in 2018, a history book about NZ and Australia’s Subantarctic islands called Trial of Strength, which included another family story – this time about my British ancestors and their ill-fated residence on the remote Auckland Islands from 1849-1852. I visited the Auckland Islands and Campbell Island in 2016, and the experience changed my life. Since then I have given many talks about my journey and become more involved in local conservation.

I like cold weather, being near the ocean (and swimming in it), and learning about remote locations. My third book, Guiding Lights: The extraordinary lives of lighthouse women (2020), also involved women working in very remote locations! Guiding Lights featured on ABC Conversations, RNZ and Stuff (see Media), among others, and I spoke at several NZ writers’ festivals in 2021.

In January 2026 I was invited on board Aurora Expeditions’ new Douglas Mawson cruise ship as an Engagement Specialist / Guest Lecturer on their two-week Subantarctic Discovery voyage. It was a privilege and a pleasure to visit NZ and Australia’s Subantarctic Islands again and reconnect with the megaherbs, penguins, sea lions, and albatross!