More Info →Kapiti Mail 22 feb 1899 Student Karena youngest to conquer the strait

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Student Karena youngest: to conquer the strait
Horowhenua College student Karena Doig was the toast of her college and friends on Monday when she returned from a weekend's activity that saw her thrust to the attention of New Zealand, Karena, 15, had become the youngest female to suc-cessfully swim Cool( Strait eclipsing the honour previously held by Wellingtonian Meda McKenzie by only a matter of weeks.

A frustrating week had been endured by her and her support crew as the plans to coincide with the elements and tides that would assist her to conquer one of the most challenging stretches of water in the world, had to be deferred first on Tuesday, then Wednesday and Thursday.

A call on Friday and the assault was on, only to be cruelly aborted when the party had arrived at the Mana Marina. Old man Wellington southerly had reared his head again.

But Saturday was to dawn perfect and the tides had reached a most convenient time, not that that wor-ried Karena who has been swimming for three hours a day for the past 12 months to prepare for this, her finest hour in a short career.

She started her epic swim from the South Island at 12.10pm. No problems were encountered and Karena maintained a steady stroke of 74 to the minute. The water had been cold at the start, a little over 16C but this warmed to 18.8C by mid afternoon.

Throughout the swim she was accompanied by the members of the Levin-Waitarere surf lifesaving club on their surf skis and their newly acquired IRB. Peter Jamieson, her coach and physical education teacher at college was beside her on a surf ski for the whole crossing. Only once did he stop, to alert the party to a shark which had come to investigate the proceedings, ICarena Was asked to stop and take a break but was not ad-vised of the company in the water alongside her although she suspected what it was. Fortunately the shark did not fancy Horowhenua a la Karena and each continued on their separate ways, Karena noticeably a little faster and stronger.

Just after 7pm Karena went through the pain barrier, a phenomena often encountered by long distance swimmers and runners. The North Islan4 was in sight, the water serenely smooth and gentle but the temperature had dropped a degree or two. There was pain in both arms, and for the younster the moment of truth had arrived.

A brief food break, some words of encouragement, a few big smiles and with the heart of a Phar Lap, Karena soldiered on. Peter Jameson dropped in alongside her and now swam stroke for stroke with her. The tide weakened taking her further south than had been anticipated.

Another breather and some radio messages from local radio 2XX and a special one. Listening to her father Kevin reporting into the local station on radio telephone was the Governor General, Sir Paul Reeves on Cape Jackson Radio. A vice-regal message of encouragement was received on board Tangaroa and relayed to Karena.

Her mother, Allison boarded the IRB to be close to her daughter as she got ever so close to her goal. And just before 9pm her ambition was fulfilled land fall being made of Ohau Point. She could no longer lift her arms but neither could she stand with every ounce of strength and energy sapped from her body.

Fittingly, coach Jameson carried her onto dry land.

Celebrations followed for this extremely friendly and pleasant young woman as friends, supporters and wellwishers from the Maria Cruising Club welcomed the party back.

After two less strenuous events, the Kapiti-to-Shore swim, and the Kapiti women's triathalon, its back to a year of heavy concentration on studies and school certificate for Karena.

The cost of the swim including pilot boat hire was in the vicinity of $1000 and this was assisted by the generosity of Levin businesses Speirs Concrete, Trustbank Central, The Manna House and Radio 2XX.

Levin student Karena Doig strokes her way across Cook Strait during her suc-cessful and record breaking crossing on Saturday. Monitoring her progress is coach Peter Jamieson.
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February 22, 1989