Gran beats asthma and the Strait

Tuesday, 10 April 2007
By KAY BLUNDELL

Hana Wolzak had to fight off an asthma attack to become the first grandmother and oldest woman to swim Cook Strait.

The 46-year-old Wellingtonian, who has dreamed of swimming it since she was 16, conquered the 27-kilometre Strait at her fourth attempt yesterday, despite struggling against breathing problems about six hours into her 8h 43min swim.

MUM DID IT: Daughter Edith Haturini congratulates Hana Wolzak, 46, after her Cook Strait crossing.

Photo: ROSS GIBLIN/DOMINION POST

 

"The hardest part was near the end. I thought the asthma was going to beat me but I beat my asthma - I just did not want to pass out," the police information technology manager said.

"It was so close but seemed so far away to achieve that last 1500 metres. When I started getting asthma it reminded me of all my failures and I felt like giving up but had to keep going for all the people supporting me."

She made it with a combination of determination, her asthma inhaler and the support of her daughter Edith and coach Philip Rush. Sea conditions were also perfect.

"Edith travelled beside me and encouraged me on the other attempts - this time she is smiling," she said.

Ms Wolzak started at Perano Head in the South Island about 5.30am, when the water was about 18 degrees, and came ashore at Terawhiti Pt, near Karori Lighthouse.

"I cannot believe I have done it - I thought it would take me 12 to 15 hours. A lot of it comes down to the conditions on the day, seasonal changes, when it's hay fever season - this time we got it right."

The crossing had been a long dream - 31 years. "If I had done it in '76 I would have been the first female - now I am the first grandmother."

Her other three attempts - the first in 1999, one in May last year and the third in January this year - were all thwarted by asthma attacks. Training for four hours a day, six days a week, for the past three years plus altitude training and the right medication helped her overcome her breathing difficulties.

Rush, who has swum the Strait seven times and taken 30 others across, said it was a tremendous effort. "This time she was determined, had coaching and taught herself to breathe properly.

"We got very close at the end of the day to calling it off - she got very sick but she battled on through it, controlled it and we got through."