Steve Francis - Wellington, New Zealand
Bribed with a chocolate fish to swim a length. Now my life revolves around swimming.
From reluctant swimmer to successful swimming coach, Steve Francis continues to be inspired by what the water offers, participating in ocean swimming events and a frequent competitor at the annual Ironman New Zealand event in Taupo in New Zealand’s North Island.
“There was a period in my life where I drifted away from being a swimmer and participating in sport in general. But as a swim coach, I was always in the pool environment, amongst fit swimmers of all ages. They inspired me to start looking after myself and exercising. Swimming was the inevitable go-to choice to get fit again.
“Ten years ago, in my late 30s, I decided to enter Ironman New Zealand. I had ten months to get in shape. I swam three to four times per week as part of a broader training program and have kept it up ever since.”
Today a dedicated family man and proud father of three, Steve’s swimming life continues to grow with the next generation just as keen on being in and around the water as he is: “My son, Ben, lives in Masterton. My younger daughters, Scarlett and Everly, are ‘little pool rats’ and spend a lot of time hanging around the pool, playing and taking their lessons. We share plenty of swimming time.”
A Wairarapa swimmer, but a successful Wellington swimming coach through and through
Steve grew up in Masterton, in the beautiful Wairarapa region of New Zealand’s lower North Island.
“We had a swimming pool at home, which I played in every day. My older brothers, Geoff and Tony, used to throw me in the deep end. I was terrified. I couldn’t swim. So my mum enrolled me for swimming lessons.
“I started in the small teaching pool in Masterton, and when I swam its 12m length it was time to go to the ‘big pool’ – all 33.3 yards of it. But I was too scared to try, and it took my teacher 4 weeks of bribing me with a chocolate fish reward. When I finally jumped in, I swam a whole length of the pool and was hooked on swimming and being in the water. I spent the long hot Masterton summers in the water – either at my home pool, the local public pools or the many great swimming holes in the Masterton rivers, such as the Waingawa River swimming hole at Kaituna.
“Swimming was a big part of my school years. I competed for the Masterton club and used to enjoy all the meets at various pools in the Wairarapa and every month or so venture over the Rimutaka Hill to compete against Wellington swimmers. I was a proud member of the club and always gave my best when training and racing.
“Spending so much time in the pool had its advantages and disadvantages. I was the fittest kid in the class, but always smelled of chlorine! I loved training hard, sharing the pain and the laughs of the tough regime with my teammates and friends. I experienced my first overseas trip as a swimmer, representing New Zealand at the Pacific School Games in Brisbane in 1982 and was a regular member of the Wairarapa team for tri-meets between Wellington, Manawatu and Wairarapa .
“My swimming background gave me the opportunity to explore swim teaching as a career. I started off as a part-time swim instructor at TSW Aquatics in about 2000 which gradually developed into a full-time teaching-coaching position. Head Coach, Hamish, decided to head back home to Australia so I gladly took on this role from 2001. We built a strong programme which managed to successfully compete at age group level, both regionally and nationally. I then moved to Porirua and briefly coached the team at Cannons Creek before taking up the role as Head Coach of the Karori club. With a name change to Pirates Swim Team I have now been there for 15 years.”
Open water swimmer, top 25 per cent Ironman finisher
Discipline and time keeping are qualities Steve learned as a swimming person; skills put to good use as he balances family life, swim coaching and personal endurance sport training. Since 2010 he has entered and completed 7 Ironman New Zealand events, plus half Ironmans and ocean swims, each event offering an end goal, a reason to train and the chance to “put myself out there and see what I can accomplish”.
When it comes to training Steve’s is a pretty solitary life.
“My work hours are early to mid-mornings and again from mid-afternoon to evenings, so it’s hard to find a squad to train with. When I have time, I train with Timon in the Bonobo squad at Wellington’s Freyberg pool. Otherwise it’s usually on my own or with a friend if our schedules coincide.”
Steve uses his own coaching beliefs to help him improve in the water.
“Being a swim coach I can’t help but think about my skills and technique while training. I focus on having a good basic body position, even hip rotation and making sure my stroke is staying long, particularly as my hands exit the water past my hips. I continually focus on these as I get fatigued!”
Steve’s favourite sets include:
A variety of skills and strokes
A love of butterfly sets- as an adult they are beneficial in providing great conditioning
Sinking one’s teeth into 400m freestyle sets:
2x(4x400m), 1st round on 5.20 (short course), 2nd on 5.40 but hold under 5.00
In the warmer Wellington summer months Steve swims in the chilly, often choppy harbour water:
“My favourite big swim is to be dropped off at Balena Bay and swim around the coastline to Freyberg Beach, a 2.5+km distance. If the northerly wind is blowing it can be a battle, and a good adventure, to work through the waves until I get around to the lighthouse, then allow myself to be blown to Freyberg Beach. I’ve had some epic big wave swims out there, which are fun, but very exhausting and a little scary!”
Steve plans to improve his swimming split at the 2021 Ironman New Zealand, helping him to beat his 2011 Ironman result of 10.00.36. The Swim People community will be behind you, Steve!
Places to swim as recommended by Steve.
Thorndon Pool – a little gem tucked away five minutes from the city. It’s my favourite pool. A 30.5m heated outdoor pool, built in the 1920s, nice and sheltered from the Wellington wind.
Lake Taupo is always beautiful to swim in, crystal clear and clean.
In Auckland find the Tepid Baths at the Viaduct Basin, an indoor 25m 7 lane heated pool built in 1914, seeing a major redevelopment in 2012. It still has its old charm, but much-improved facilities.
Wainuiomata summer pool. Another hidden gem on the other side of the ‘hill’ from Wellington. An outdoor 50m pool with beautiful nature surroundings. It’s very underused in the summer and you’re likely to have a lane to yourself.
The bucket list swim.
“I have wanted to swim the Cook Strait, one of the world’s most challenging but beautiful stretches of water, since I trained one of my swimmers for this challenging swim in 2014. I was part of the support crew in the boat beside her. Being a Kiwi there’s something mythical about that swim. When I can dedicate nine months to training the required miles to swim it, I would love to give it a crack.”
Not your ordinary swimming coach.
Take one look at Steve and you wouldn’t place him in a pool environment, yet alone a successful swimming coach of 20 years.
“I am heavily tattooed and have a deep interest in tattoo culture and its history. I am proud to represent the tattoo art in a positive nature.
“I am a huge heavy metal fan and have an extensive album collection. I play drums in a metal band called ‘Bulletbelt’. We have toured New Zealand, Australia and Japan numerous times and have just released our fourth album.”
Steve is a dedicated Dad to Ben, Scarlett and Everly, supported by his artist wife Jeannie, and highly respected in the Wellington swimming community. In his words
“Life is good.”
Links to Steve interview 2019 and coaching in COVID
Photo credits: Top and last image. Kevin Stent. Stuff news