"Everyone said, ‘aren’t you afraid of the sharks?’.
"I was more concerned about letting my team down and not achieving my goal."
Dr Edgar, 52, completed his swim across Foveaux Strait in 9hr 52min — achieving his "triple-crown" mission.
The former New Zealand Defence Force major and PhD graduate had previously swum Cook Strait and the length of Lake Taupo.
The Blenheim man’s adventures in open-water swimming not only tested his limits, but also aimed to inspire others who were facing challenges.
As a high-performance strength and conditioning coach and military officer, Dr Edgar combines his diverse skills to empower others and raise awareness, particularly for dyslexia.
"This was about showing people that when you face your fears, you can achieve your goals.
"I live with dyslexia. I figured, OK, I’ve got it but it doesn’t have to define me.
"I will use it to help me succeed.
"It’s about supporting those with dyslexia and letting our rangatahi know that they are not alone, and there’s a way forward."
He said he could not have achieved this goal without his team.
"I didn’t do this alone.
"It was this team around me that helped us get this done."
He is the 16th person to have successfully swum the 28km stretch from Stewart Island to Bluff.
He reached Bluff at 5.50pm after an 8.30am start, achieving his goal of completing the journey within 10 hours.
