Iron Maori TOA Race Day Reflections: Leg 1: The swim (3.8k)- the gift of last again

The day begins with one karakia, then another (and then my own)

A wero laid down and received

The sound of the taonga puoro

And karanga as we, walk down to the beach,

My hands begin to wiriwiri back

But my head gets in the way

What do I say? What if the words don’t come out right? Maybe its not for an athlete to call back?

But my heart and spirit fly with the karanga

And the tears form, goosebumps and shivers down my back

I am here for this first of its kind,

The first ever indigenous run full distance triathlon

as we head out into the ocean

The atua are calling

Tihei, Tangaroa e!

Tihei, Hinemoana e!

The water felt warmer then previous days

Put your head under Lisa and breathe

Take it slow and look out for my two mates I’m swimming with

Slow and steady

The first buoy at 200 metres and we were already well at the back

Checking in with them

One buoy at a time. One chunk at a time

Kei te mihi ki a koe e Tangaroa.

“Are you ok?” Rache is coughing and struggling to get her breath. Me ata haere.

I mihi to Tangaroa, to Hinemoana

And I treat this swim like a pure

Of letting stuff go.

This is my time for me,

For reflection

I was here in this water, for other reasons then to just race

We fist pump and high five after the first lap.

1st lap done and 2 more to go.

I swim. I breast stroke. I back stroke.

I gaze up at Tama Nui te Ra on my back. I feel his energy.

I thank the life guards on their surf boards.

I encourage. I tread water.

I dolphin dive. I am present.

I see and feel the absolute beauty

and healing of

Tangaroa raua ko Hinemoana.

We’d said that the three of us would swim together

But Rache is coughing up green phlegm and she manages to make it to the 2nd lap and then calls it in,

So then it was just the two of us.

“Are we last?” he asks at one of the buoys

“We sure are,” I beam.

I don’t tell him that the boat is following behind us as in Tail End Charlie

Picking up the buoys as we swim past them.

I felt such inspiration from him as his cap filled with water,

His goggles too,

His pakaru shoulder

And the fact he was nervous to be in the ocean

But he just kept moving forward.

“Follow my feet,” I kept saying but I don’t think he could see anything.

As we zig zagged our way through the swim.

LAST AGAIN.

But LAST AGAIN

Is a moment I will treasure forever.

“Toia mai, te waka” was the chant

as we reached the shore

helping hands pulling us out of the water,

cheering, clapping and that chant

Toia mai te waka

The sound of karanga

Tama Nui beaming

Tangaroa saying haere ra

The last of the waves lapping at my ankles as I try to steady myself back on Papatūānuku

Thank you for the time of reflection

Of pure,

Of letting go

Papatūānuku welcoming us back onto shore

Tawhirimatea and Tūmatauenga too

Walking up the sand hill with the butter buddy

2 hrs 21 minutes later.

He did it. I did it.

WE did it.