Danielle Falconer’s 40km swim for dementia: why every stroke matters

About this episode

Danielle Falconer discusses her 40km swim across Lake Taupō to raise awareness and funds for dementia support.

Update: SHE DID IT!!! On March 21 2026, Danielle swam across Lake Taupō (40.7km in 16h27m). Well done, Danielle! Also, her fundraising for Dementia NZ has raised over $15,000. Thanks to everyone who has donated. * At the time of recording this podcast (Feb 9, 2026), Danielle Falconer was preparing to swim the length of Lake Taupō (40.2km) in late February to raise awareness and support for those affected by dementia. Through her swim she is fundraising for Dementia NZ – visit her Givealittle page for more details. In this episode we talk about: Danielle’s personal reasons for wanting to grow awareness and support around dementia and fundraise for Dementia NZ . We talk about the impact of dementia on the tens of thousands of Kiwis affected by it, as well as on their families, caregivers, and community. The nuts and bolts of planning and training for an ultramarathon swim: having a swim programme, nutrition, support crew, and a feeding plan. The need for flexibility and adaptability in the lead-up to a big swim: once the training is done, having to accept things (like weather!) that are out of our control. Working with ultramarathon swim coach and world record holder Phil Rush (who…

People in this episode

Host: Shona Riddell

Guest: Danielle Falconer

Topics covered

• dementia awareness
• ultramarathon swimming
• fundraising
• community support
• training and preparation

Keywords

• dementia
• Lake Taupō
• ultramarathon swim
• fundraising
• community support
• Phil Rush
• training

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Dementia NZ

Places: Lake Taupō

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