Smith, 28, is readying to take on the 82km length of Lake Whakatipu without a wetsuit — if successful, she’ll be the first person to do so.
The only other swimmer to conquer New Zealand’s longest lake’s wetsuit-clad Ben Campbell-McDonald, of Wellington, who did so in 18hr 42min in 2012.
Smith, who in 2022 completed NZ’s ‘Triple Crown’ — Lake Taupo, the Cook Strait and Foveaux Strait, the latter netting her a Guinness World Record for the fastest time (6hr 19min 45sec) — is being advised by Kiwi long-distance swimming legend Philip Rush.
She says she’s referring to him, among others, as to the timing of her upcoming mission.
"I’m in what’s called a window, where you are simply waiting for the phone call from the team that we’re all go."
There’s much more to it than simply good weather, though, with a heap of logistics required including boats getting to Queenstown, a skipper coming across the hill from Wānaka, and the rest of her support team flying in.
Rush estimates once she starts — likely heading from Kingston to Glenorchy — she’ll be in the water between 32 and 36 hours.
