The third installment of our 4-part series welcomes an elite swimmer who, following a successful 2025 North Shore Swim Series where she finished 3rd overall female with a cumulative time of 2 hours and 15 minutes (wow that’s fast!), just completed the Kaiwi Channel (28 miles from Moloka’i to O’ahu) in 13 hours and 23 minutes on August 25th. Jennie also participated in our 5k/10k Endurance Swim last month, coming in 4th overall in the 10k distance with a time of 2 hours and 44 minutes. Please join me in welcoming Jennie Conway.
Name: Jennie Conway
Location: O’ahu, Hawaii
Occupation: Dietitian
Favorite Swim Memory: This is a hard one! It’s a tie between running into whales on a swim adventure from Maui to Molokini and an early morning Lanikai swim with my sister Jess when we accidentally woke up a sleeping reef shark. I don’t know who was more surprised!
How long have you been a swimmer and what is your earliest memory of ocean swimming in Hawaii?
If you are familiar with swim meets, I was one of the little kiddos diving off the side of the pool in the 6 and under 25s. That makes me a swimmer for about 25 years! My earliest memory of ocean swimming in Hawaii is Popoi’a/flat island and Mokes with Kailua crews and slowly branching out to all the other beautiful swim spots. Every man-o-war sting just built character; every honu, manta, dolphin made me fall in love. You mean we don’t have to just follow a black line at the bottom of a pool? I was hooked!
The North Shore Swim Series recently celebrated itʻs 36th year in operation. What do you think is the appeal of these swims that have kept them going for nearly 40 years?
I think we all enjoy the community of it. We all know what Saturday it is when it comes around! We are all definitely creatures of habit and I think everyone loves the anticipation of another summer swimming and racing together on the north shore. I love hearing stories from our more seasoned swimmers from decades past—and remarkably…it doesn’t sound all that different today! It’s a special tradition our swim community knows, cherishes, and loves.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in participating in the series for the first time?
Just do it! If you can, sign up for all of them. Join a swim pod to train together. It’s so much fun to celebrate your efforts with your pod. It’s important to be strong and confident in the water no matter what the conditions are.
The series has become an annual North Shore tradition amongst the open water community. What role do you feel the community plays in upholding this tradition each summer?
It’s exciting to see the sponsors come back with continued support and so fun when we get to welcome any new ones. Our swim community happily upholds our beloved summer traditions by signing up for NSSS year after year.
“Every man-o-war sting just built character; every honu, manta, dolphin made me fall in love.”
How do you prepare yourself for the series each year? Any tips or tricks youʻd like to share?
I make sure I’m swimming weekly (UH and Kailua Masters!) and longer ocean swims with my pod to get ready for “race mode”. Nutrition is so important before and after, so I make sure I’m fueling myself properly with lots of fruits and veggies, proteins, grains, good fats, and of course electrolytes (we love local made HIdrate Electrolytes).
What is the most challenging AND most rewarding part of swimming in the North Shore Swim Series?
It’s a challenge committing to the early wake up call and then racing itself can really take it out of you! But therein lies the reward—working through challenging yourself to do things that are hard. The muffins at the end certainly help #willswimformuffins.
Proudly powered by WordPress
About the North Shore Swim Series:
A nearly 40-year tradition held each summer on the North Shore of Oʻahu, the storied North Shore Swim Series, recently concluded its 36th year in operation. Considered one of the top 100 open water swimming events in the country, the series draws a combined total of nearly 2,000 athletes each year who wish to test their endurance against the progressively longer courses ranging in distances from 1-mile to 2.3-miles. Set against the backdrop of the North Shoreʻs iconic 7-mile miracle, participants have the opportunity to witness Hawaiiʻs beautiful coastline, crystal blue waters, & a variety of sea life ranging from Spinner Dolphins to the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle, while they contend with ocean currents, mass starts, and strategic navigation.
Photos courtesy of Jade Reeves Photography
1 thought on “Challenging Yourself is the Greatest Reward”
https://shorturl.fm/Tjtxf