Swimming saved his life

One lap. Wattie Newton’s first goal was to complete one lap.

Standing at the edge of the pool at Mount Maunganui’s Baywave, he knew he needed a lifestyle change. His life depended on it.

Wattie weighed about 170kg and was waiting for a hip operation and two knee operations. He was also developing diabetes.

Watching on was his wife Ruth. The Maketū couple have four kids, 12 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Wattie knew he wasn’t just doing this for himself.

He took the plunge and started aqua jogging, bit by bit building up his confidence, before progressing to swimming.

“Swimming saved my life,” Wattie says. And he’s not exaggerating.

The 78-year-old has been swimming at Baywave for about 10 years now. He has lost more than 50kg and swims between 80 and 120 laps of the pool about three or four days a week.

Wattie’s life has been transformed. Exercising in water has also been kind to his tired, sore joints.

“I was able to get healthier with little to no impact on my body,” he says.

At the start of Wattie’s Baywave journey, Ruth would come along and watch from the side.

She was terrified of the water. 

But just like her husband of 54 years, she slowly worked up the courage and took the plunge.

When Ruth first ventured into the pool, her granddaughter was there holding her hand.

Now she regularly does laps, aqua jogging with a flotation belt, and says it has done wonders for her mental health.

“Swimming helps me with my anxiety, and I have made some really great friends,” Ruth says.

In fact, the social element of Wattie and Ruth’s trips to Baywave has become just as important to them as the exercise.

“Because our community is our family. We have made friends and we come to see them while we are working towards a healthier lifestyle,” Ruth says.

“We come around 10am-12pm and know all the regulars. Everyone is on their own journey but with common goals – to be healthier and we all motivate each other.”

She says the lifeguards are “amazing” and that Baywave is “an excellent venue”.

The swimming pool complex is the biggest in the Bay of Plenty and houses a 25-metre lap pool, a leisure pool (with waves), children’s pools, as well as a spa, sauna, and a steam room.

There is also a hydroslide, and the Aqua Play Station area has three smaller water slides, water guns, a tipping water bucket, and water fountains for hours of family fun.

For Wattie and Ruth, Baywave has become part of their weekly routine. They are familiar faces poolside.

“All the staff have a great attitude and are good people,” Ruth says.

“And the cafe is important to the venue so we can catch up with friends after swimming.”

It is fair to say there is no going back now for Wattie and Ruth; they love spending time in the water. They even visit other aquatic facilities when they are out of town.

This all started with a goal of completing one lap of the pool 10 years ago.

Through a lot of hard work and dedication and courage, Wattie and Ruth Newton have achieved their lifestyle change – and then some.

Along the way, they have also become valuable members of the Baywave community.