Marathon Swimmer, PhD, Endurance athlete, High-Performance Strength & Conditioning Coach, Army Officer, Samoan Matai, Husband, Father and Dyslexic.
David Edgar is an accomplished marathon swimmer from NZ whose achievements in open-water swimming are matched by his dedication to academic research and pursuit of excellence in his military career. With a remarkable track record in triathlon, endurance sport and long-distance swimming, David has pushed himself to the extremes both physically and mentally for years, demonstrating both physical endurance and mental resilience.
David will be swimming the 28km Foveaux Strait from Stewart Island to Bluff in February 2025. Not only will this be a significant achievement in itself, but this is also the final swim required to achieve the mammoth NZ open water marathon swimming Triple Crown, having already completed the 42km length of Lake Taupo in 2019 and the 23km Cook Strait in March 2024. However, this is just a warm up, David has the ultimate goal of completing the Ocean Seven. This is a penultimate series of Ocean swims that covers some of the most challenging open water swims in the world. Including the Cook Strait the Ocean Seven includes, the English Channel (England to France), the Northern Channel (Ireland to England), The Gibraltar Strait (Europe to Africa), Catalina Channel (Catalina Island to San Francesco), Tsugaru Strait (Japan Main land to Hokkaido), and the Molokai Channel (Oahu to Molokai Island Hawaii).
After 4 years of hard work, while working full time and still nailing a few ocean and lake swims David completed his PhD through Waikato University in 2023. David’s PhD titled Combatting the War on Sleep; Sleep and Recovery in the Military, focused on looking at ways to enhance and improve sleep and recovery in the military and HP environments. The research focused on investigating how military trainees sleep and then used interventions of reduced bright lighting, compression tights and a placebo sleep device as possible means to improve sleep quality and physical performance. This body of data has contributed valuable insights to the military and elite performance space. David’s academic research has enhanced military officer and recruit training and reflects his commitment to advancing knowledge and innovation, bridging the gap between rigorous scientific inquiry and practical application.
In addition to his academic and swimming endeavours, David is a Major in the New Zealand Army where he is the Officer Commanding the Physical Performance Squadron for the New Zealand Defence Force. This incorporates the command and daily operation of all gymnasiums within all Camps and Bases, daily physical training outputs for the NZDF and command of all PTIs (Physical Training Instructors) in the Army, Navy and Air Force. Further to this, David has also previously held several Head Strength and Conditioning Roles in Professional Rugby with Waikato, The Chiefs, Suntory and Kintetsu in Japan and has lead the S&C/Sports Science Programs for Manu Samoa at three Rugby World Cups. His experiences in both the military and sports have shaped his approach to life, challenges, management and leadership.
Driven by a profound desire to make a difference, David is also dedicated to raising awareness and financial support for dyslexia. Why you might ask? Astonishing as it may seem through all he has managed to achieve, David is a dyslexic and deals with it daily. Through his open-water swimming challenges, he seeks to support initiatives that assist individuals with dyslexia, leveraging his athletic platform to shine a spotlight on this important cause and give those who struggle as he has, a fighting chance to also achieve some cool things in life. His efforts not only highlight the challenges faced by those with dyslexia but also aim to foster greater understanding and support for effective interventions.
“We all face challenges in our lives, and I have faced quite a few. I take on things where I will truly be tested to learn and come out the other end a better person. The fear of failure grips us all, (and believe me I have failed excessively), but I have learned to embrace it and keep pushing forward’’.
David Edgar’s multifaceted journey—spanning marathon swimming, academic research, military service, elite sport S&C and advocacy—reflects a life devoted to excellence and positive impact. His work continues to inspire, and his commitment to personnel challenge is only made possible through a supportive family and personal acceptance.
