An accomplished ultra‑marathon ocean swimmer and ocean advocate, Jono Ridler is one of New Zealand’s most respected endurance athletes, renowned for redefining the limits of human resilience in some of the country’s most demanding marine environments.
Jono is best known as the co‑founder of Swim4TheOcean, an initiative that uses extreme endurance swimming to elevate awareness of ocean health and inspire action to protect New Zealand’s marine ecosystems. His swimming achievements place him among an elite group globally, with a career marked by pioneering swims and record‑setting endurance feats.
In 2026, Jono completed the longest unassisted staged swim ever achieved anywhere in the world, swimming the entire length of New Zealand’s North Island — from North Cape to Wellington — over 90 consecutive days. Covering close to 1,400 kilometres, he swam using only basic swim gear, without a wetsuit or performance aids. The journey tested the extremes of physical and mental endurance while sparking nationwide conversation about the importance of a healthy ocean.
Earlier, in 2023, Jono captured national attention with a near‑100‑kilometre non‑stop swim from Great Barrier Island to Auckland, completed in just over 33 hours. This swim became the longest unassisted open‑water swim in New Zealand’s history, drawing thousands of people across the country to follow the live tracker and updates.
Jono is also the 10th person to complete the New Zealand Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, and the first swimmer to complete a return swim from Matapouri Bay to the Poor Knights Islands, as well as the first to swim from Great Barrier Island to Auckland. Each milestone reflects a career defined by innovation, courage, and an unwavering commitment to purposeful challenge.
With an inauspicious start to swimming, Jono’s journey is a powerful example of what can be achieved through consistency, mindset, and purpose. He continues to use ultra‑endurance swimming as a platform to champion ocean conservation, believing that protecting the ocean is essential to the future of both people and planet
Talking Points
Going the Distance: Achieving the Extraordinary
How individuals and teams move beyond perceived limits and sustain high performance over time, not just in moments of peak effort.Going the Distance: Achieving the Extraordinary
Audiences Walk Away With
•Strategies to sustain effort when motivation fades
•A new perspective on limits, discomfort, and long-term progress
•Tools to apply immediately in leadership and high-pressure environments
Jono Ridler is not only a world class ultra marathon swimmer, but equally a world class presenter and speaker. Jono shared an incredible account of what can be achieved through the relentles ... keep reading WSP New Zealand
Jono spoke to a group of our clients and staff about his Swim4TheGulf record-breaking swim and his partnership with Live Ocean. Jono was very well prepared, joining us on a couple of planning calls to maximise the impact of the event which showed up in the extremely high quality of his speaking. He articulated himself well which ensured a sincere connection with the audience that led to some great questions in the Q&A. The combination of his speech with an inspiring video really conveyed that he is passionate about what he does and wants to achieve. He was very generous with his time both before and after his address, speaking with our clients and staff with one client describing him as an “extraordinary New Zealander”. I would thoroughly recommend him to anyone looking to engage an inspiring speaker for their next event.
It was a real privilege hosting Jono and hearing his story. Our team was captivated, tracing his accomplishments leading up to his 99km, record-breaking achievement. We were impressed by his true commitment, to give so much to campaign for the recovery of the Hauraki Gulf with the Live Ocean Foundation. Even after receiving national attention for his efforts as a sportsman and environmentalist, Jono was humble. We loved having an understated hero in the office for the morning, inspiring our people and reminding us that we all have a role to play in making a difference and changing our future.
