Age is just a number, and Cook Strait just water to a Dunedin 70-year-old aiming to be the oldest person to swim between New Zealand’s two main islands.
This weekend Steve Prescott will be in Wellington gearing up for a 23km swim — give or take — through Cook Strait, to the South Island.
Mr Prescott hopes to finish and tick off a long-standing bucket-list experience in the process.
The previous oldest person to complete the swim was 63 years old.
‘‘Now's the time, before I get too old — I don’t think I could get any fitter,’’ he said.
This would be his first attempt at swimming Cook Strait.
It all depends on the weather, he said.
‘‘I’m apprehensive. Once I get in there, I think that'll go away ... I think I can do the swim, that doesn’t worry me, it’s all the other factors, like tides and weather and all those sorts of things.
‘‘I’ve just got to get out there and get in and give it my best shot really.’’
Mr Prescott has been swimming all his life, but it was in the past two years or so he really ‘‘kicked it into gear,’’ and started taking training seriously.
He has a group with three other open water swimmers helping him prepare for the challenge.
Training for the swim by going for a three or four-hour dip in Otago Harbour was just the tip of the iceberg. Nutrition was also important.
‘‘I'm lucky that my good wife has helped me get there and do that sort of stuff ... it's been a big group event and everyone's helped out. Couldn’t do it without everyone.’’
Mr Prescott said all he really needed for the swim was ‘‘togs, caps and goggles,’’ but would be taking water, muesli bars, energy gels, and everything else needed to stay warm, healthy and hydrated.
He was not planning on breaking the fastest time record, which was held by Andrew Donaldson at 4hr 33min.
He said the average person took ‘‘anywhere between six and 12 hours’’.
‘‘No, I won’t be going that fast.’’
Open water swimming legend Phillip Rush helped Mr Prescott organise the swim.
Travelling in a boat alongside Mr Prescott would be three people, including his brother, his wife’s nephew and a master swimmer named Rebecca Tovo.
‘‘I’ll be a bit of a family affair, so that will be good.’’
He was dedicating the swim to his sister-in-law.
‘‘She’s pretty special ... and she’s not well at the moment. This is mainly for her,’’ he said.
