Stung By A Box Jellyfish In The Middle Of The Molokaʻi Channel: ‘I Just Kept Swimming’

At 17, Gráinne Moss swam the English Channel — the first Irish woman ever to do it. At 56, she became the 45th person on Earth to complete the Oceans Seven, the seven hardest channel swims in the world. This conversation is about the 39 years in between. We talk about the two failed attempts at the same stretch of water between Ireland and Scotland — one she was elated by, one that broke her. About being stung head to foot by jellyfish and somehow swimming on for seven more hours. About looking back at the White Cliffs of Dover three hours into the Channel — and her utter despair at realising she'd barely moved. About finishing her first channel crossing at 17 with nobody there to meet her. And about carrying everything she’s learned from ultramarathon swimming — the grit, the resilience, the purpose — into one of the hardest jobs in the New Zealand public service. WHAT'S COVERED: \- The three hours that nearly ended her English Channel swim \- Being obliterated by a shoal of jellyfish — and why she got out of the water happy \- How you keep going when you can't see any progress at all \- What a good coach actually does \- Night swimming, box jellyfish and the Channel of Bones \- Leading Oranga Tamariki — where she put her focus, and why she says you have to know your own reasons before you take a job like that ABOUT GRÁINNE Gráinne Moss (née Gunn) grew up in Bangor, County Down, and started swimming in an unheated saltwater pool fed by the sea. She swam the English Channel in 1987 in 11 hours 52 minutes, aged 17, becoming the first Irish woman to do it. She moved to New Zealand in 1998 and swam the Cook Strait in 2001, and completed the Oceans Seven in June 2026 with the Tsugaru Strait in northern Japan — the longest span between first and final swim in the challenge's history. She is Chief Executive and Secretary for Regulation at the Ministry for Regulation, and was Chief Executive of Oranga Tamariki from 2016 to 2021. Visit Gráinne's blog https://grainnemoss.com/ for detailed accounts of her swims and follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/swimirishkiwi/. — Hunger & Heart is brought to you by the Crusaders Leadership Programme™. Whether you're coaching under-5s or a professional team, we all want the same thing: to build cultures of trust, get the best out of our people, and grow players into leaders. The Crusaders Leadership Programme™ lets you get up close and personal with some of the greatest rugby legends of all time — people like Sir Wayne Smith, Sam Whitelock, and Kieran Read.  You'll connect with a global group of ambitious, caring coaches from a range of codes and backgrounds, and most importantly, you'll gain skills and techniques to drive impact and outcomes for your team.   The Crusaders Leadership Programme™ is a two-week high-intensity virtual experience.  It is delivered exclusively online, accessible from anywhere.  Hunger and heart Listeners get 10% off the full price of the program. Use the code HUNGER at checkout. Find out more: crusadersleadership.com * * * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.