Wānaka’s Camille Gulick has set a new record for swimming the 28.6km Foveaux Strait today (Thursday February 10).

The Wānaka Lake Swimmers Club president’s official time from Stewart Island to Bluff was just six hours and 57 minutes: almost an hour faster than last year’s record breaker Jono Ridler.

The Wānaka App spoke to Camille soon after she arrived back in Bluff.

“I still don’t believe what just happened; I can’t believe how well that went,” she said.

“I genuinely just went out hoping to complete the crossing. I just had excellent conditions, the nutrition worked, my crew was on top of everything.”

Camille said she kept thinking the crew was lying to her when they told her how fast she was swimming.

Camille was part of Aucklander Jono Ridler’s crew last year, when he set a new record of seven hours and 52 minutes.

“That was a big motivator for me doing it,” she said.

Camille Gulick competes in the Trans-Tahoe Relay swim in Lake Tahoe, CA, July 2017.

Camille told the Wānaka App she planned to have a shower and then “I’m heading straight to the pub. I’m definitely in celebration mode.”

Wānaka Lake Swimmers Club members posted on social media that “Foveaux Strait was showing off for Camille Gulick today, and she more than matched it”. 

“What a swim, what a day, what an amazing effort,” one comment read. “Those of us who were here know that every second was a thing of badass beauty.”

Read more: A passion for swimming

PHOTOS: Supplied