I am on my knees. Two lift breakdowns have turned my life upside down. The first I can fight to have repaired. The second does not respond to human intervention. All I can do is warn New Zealand of the failure likely to affect us all.

The first breakdown began three weeks ago when the lift, in our apartment block, broke down.  Eyad, who is not only a very good swimmer, but a final year engineering honours student warned me this kind of breakdown was usually the result of the lift’s electrical system failing to communicate with the mechanical system. Repairs, he said, could be quick and last five minutes or long, thorough and permanent.

Well three weeks later we have endured seven further breakdowns. Looks like Otis chose the “quick and five-minute” repair option. Finally, this week, the lift was stopped for two days while Otis’ mechanics resorted to a “long, thorough and permanent” solution.   

All that might not sound too serious. There are only 17 steps between the ground floor and our apartment. Walk up the stairs, I hear you say. It will do you good. That might be true in my case. But what about the two elderly ladies who own apartments on our level. Asking them to ascend 17 steps is as impossible as demanding they climb Everest without oxygen. Depending on the time of each breakdown, they had no option but to stay in their apartments or sleep in their cars. It was disgraceful and dangerous.

What surprised me most however was the lack of concern by many. The Chairman of the apartment owner’s committee sent a note to everyone saying the lift was not his problem. He won’t be getting my vote at the next AGM. The agent responsible for tenants also said the lift was not included in his duties.

Finally, Alison could take it no more. She let rip at Otis and the building management company, with threats of lawyers and financial compensation. I was impressed. So evidentially was Otis. The next time their mechanics appeared the “long, thorough and permanent” option had been chosen. Let’s hope their repair still works when I get home.

My second example of a lift not going all the way to the top is a breakdown forty odd years in the making. In this case the lift is underpowered. It is incapable of transporting the loads its owner jams into its tiny transport cabin. The “lift” in this case belongs to the author of the Facebook Kiwi Swimming page, Dave Crampton. I call it a lift. Roget’s Thesaurus refers to it as a brain.

I cannot repair the damaged organ. That task is beyond us all. I can however warn you that your journey on this lift will be erratic and will never reach the top floor.

For example, Kiwi Swimming’s latest breakdown told us this.

What’s crazy is that just three males have entered the 10k open water event. Who runs a “national championship” event for just three swimmers?

I understand that the broken elevator is trying to pass-off its problems onto Swimming New Zealand (SNZ). I did a quick check of two premiere sports in New Zealand – Canoe Racing and Athletics. Both have recently published the results of their National Championships. Canoe Racing had three events with four or less entries. Athletics had 19 events with four or less entries. The lift was taking New Zealand on a journey grounded in nothing but the author’s highly suspect imagination. The lift owes SNZ an apology.

Be warned Facebook readers. The trips you make in the Kiwi Swimming lift will not be reliable. This lift truly does not go all the way to the top.

Kiwi Swimming then spends 552 words explaining why the SNZ Covid declaration swimmers must sign before entering the National Championship cannot be answered honestly. I found the excuses impossible to understand. The lift had clearly stalled between floors. The SNZ declaration is pretty simple. Have you had Covid? Are you in close contact with someone who has Covid? Have you been vaccinated?

Eyad answered the questions and completed his entries in all of five minutes. But Eyad has an elevator that really does go to the top floor. Kiwi Swimming on the other hand had a dozen what-ifs. What if you said no to the “have you had Covid” question and before the Nationals you tested positive? What would you do?

I would do what any swimmer or coach would do. I’d pick up the phone, tell SNZ what had happened and ask, what should I do. I’m sure Steve Johns, Chloe Francis, Amanda White or Gary Francis would be happy to help. But of course, Kiwi Swimming cannot do that. Their lift’s emergency telephone is broken as well.

Our apartment lift broke down seven times in three weeks. That might sound bad. And it was. However, compared to the reliability of the Kiwi Swimming lift, the lift in our apartment ran like a finely tuned Swiss watch. Anyone taking a ride in the Kiwi Swimming lift, be sure to include a pinch of salt. The lift won’t get you anywhere near the top floor. But the salt will remind you to use another lift next time.  

In 1968 I was training in Wellington with Pru Chapman. Pru was preparing to represent New Zealand in the Mexico City Olympic Games. The morning the team was announced some high-powered official was quoted in the Dominion newspaper as saying, “No woman should be selected for the Olympic team if a good man was available.” Horrifying, I know, but that’s the way it was back then.

Do I hear some say, “We’ve come a long way since then.”

But have we? Not when you read the insulting tweet published on the All Blacks’ Twitter account, we haven’t. Their tweet to mark International Women’s Day said, “Forever grateful to all the women in our lives that allow us to play the game we love. Partners, mothers, daughters, doctors, physios, referees, administrators and fans. Appreciate you every day.”    

The message was accompanied by a photo of All Black, Sevu Reece, who pleaded guilty to assaulting his female partner in 2018. Reece was discharged without conviction after a judge ruled there were mitigating factors in the case.

Apart from the morons who work for the New Zealand Rugby Union I do hope there are few of us who are not disgusted by the bigotry and blind chauvinism of that message. But for those who think the message is fine, here is the problem.

• Discharged or not, when Sevu Reece pleaded guilty to beating up his girlfriend, he lost the right appear on a website congratulating women about anything. For New Zealand Rugby to select him as their poster-boy for the occasion is beyond belief. Except, yes, that is exactly what the All Blacks did.
• The All Blacks’ post also included a photo of halfback Aaron Smith and his partner. In 2016 the All Blacks suspended Smith for one game and he made the decision to travel home from South Africa, after witnesses saw him entering a public toilet with a woman at Christchurch Airport. The association of that incident with International Women’s Day is bizarre. New Zealand Rugby clearly have a neanderthal view of what events merit celebration of the female gender.  
• The tweet says, “Forever grateful to all the women in our lives that allow us to play.” The implication is clear. As far as New Zealand Rugby is concerned women’s value is confined to providing dinner, medical support and backroom secretarial assistance. That attitude is far too close to “no woman should be selected” for my liking. I’d love to hear Rugby’s explanation of how their tweet is any different from the, “a women’s place is in the home” message.
• The tweet makes no mention of women who play the game, often with a record better than the men’s team. For example, there was no mention of the Black Ferns, who have won the Women’s Rugby World Cup a record five times, or the women’s sevens team who won silver in Rio, while the men were fifth or the women who won gold in Tokyo, while the men were second. International Women’s Day is about many things. One is to celebrate the outstanding achievements of the gender. I would have thought the record of women’s rugby deserved a mention. Not if you work for New Zealand Rugby it seems.
• A Stuff report on these events concludes by saying, “Several Black Ferns were contacted by Stuff on Wednesday but did not want to comment.” Sadly, the Black Fern players missed an opportunity. Bad people get away with bad things when good people do nothing. Every player should have taken the Rugby Union to task. Women’s sport progresses not only by how well you play, but also by how well you demand male chauvinists recognise your equality. On International Women’s Day that is a right you should have demanded.

On the 13 August 1979 Alison and I drove into Zurich, Switzerland. Alison had been invited to compete in the Zurich International Meet. The meet promoter was in the reception area of our hotel to assist with the booking in process. I will always remember the thrill I felt when he introduced me to the receptionist as Mr. Alison Wright. The performer had been given due status. Male and female were secondary to performance. Recognition had been made where it was due. Women’s sport had moved for the better.

The New Zealand Rugby Union could have joined that progress yesterday. But they didn’t. Instead, they joined decades of grey men in grey suits who have no problem allocating Woodman, Holmes, Love and a dozen others to the role of washing men’s footy jerseys. Not good.

My social media presence is limited to writing the Swimwatch blog, communicating with Eyad, his family and my daughter, Jane, on WhatsApp and using Facebook messenger to let Alison know when I’m on my way home. I do have a Facebook page that is getting dusty through lack of attention. The mysteries of Tinder, Spotify, LinkedIn and Twitter are way beyond my pay grade.

But last night all that changed. I noticed a conversation taking place between Jenny White and Jennifer Scott. I have no idea who or what Jennifer Scott is or does. Jenny though is Alison’s cousin and is a top drawer socialist – holding their feet to the f—ing fire sort of person. For years her dad was one of the teacher’s union (NZEI) representatives who dragged education here up by its bootlaces. His daughter(s) have continued in his fine tradition. Jenny makes me look like a positively right-wing mate of Mike Hosking. I’m not by the way.

Anyway, the evening began when Jenny posted this on her Facebook page:

Wow I just joined a Facebook group called Where is Clarke Gayford, dedicated to discussing rumors that Clarke Gayford is a drug dealer, in jail, on trial, wearing an ankle bracelet.

Good and somehow not surprising to see you in there Jennifer Scott Louise Burnside and Karen Jones .

Maybe he caused COVID! Maybe he burned the slide! Completely cooked and full of sexist garbage about the PM. Anyway, leaving now, just wanted to see if it was real.

There were 58 comments made about the post. I am going to edit them to those made by Jennifer Scott, or Jenny or me. I am doing that not to hide the wisdom of other people’s thoughts but to highlight my one night as an internet stalker. And so here is the conversation that followed.

Jenny Whyte: Yeah my sentiments too. People say some really repulsive things about Ardern. She’s not perfect, the govt isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty alarming to me the number of supposed feminists who join in with this shite.

Jennifer Scott: What the heck? Are you trying to name and shame people because they are in an online group. I don’t even recall being in? Absolutely pathetic post. What was your objective?

Jennifer Scott: Please show the comments I had made in that group for you to post my name up on your page.

Jennifer Scott: I suppose your going to say that everyone should be jabbed with an experimental Vax also???

Jennifer Scott: What is your objective by including 3 of our names in your post? I don’t spend my time wondering where the PMs stupid husband is. I LOST MY JOB LAST YEAR BECAUSE THE GOVT DOESN’T UPHOLD SEX BASED HUMAN RIGHTS!!! if you need more information on that, feel free to follow my posts online. 

Jenny Whyte: I saw a thread on Twitter about this FB group and was curious. I went to look and lo and behold 3 presumably feminist women belong to this cesspit of misogyny. I dunno, at some point you must have decided it was worth joining. I’ve certainly seen you saying some pretty gross things about the PM. As is your right, but I was a bit surprised to see socalled feminists in that group. I lost my job 2 years ago for the very same reason – defending sex based rights.

Jennifer Scott: i’m not sorry that me being in a online group that I literally have nothing to do with upsets you so much. And no, I don’t like Jacinda. Why would I? Why do I care about her life, relationship or anything. To accuse me of being on a miso… 

David Wright: You don’t like Jacinda. Poor you. In five years she has handled a mosque killing, an earthquake, an eruption, a pandemic, the birth of a daughter and a war in Europe. And you benefit by living safely in NZ. Look back on what you’ve done in five years and hide in shame.

Jennifer Scott: wtf? So you don’t like that I don’t like Jacinda. Poor you! LOL I don’t want her experimental drug.

Jenny Whyte: I have a great life, thanks, hope you do too. You misread my post if you think I’m upset you joined that group, I thought it was hilarious the 3 of you were in there.

David Wright: Three billion shots worldwide is hardly an experiment. I really don’t mind you not liking Jacinda. I just think you are ridiculous. Jacinda managed a pandemic well enough to allow loony tunes like you to live without the shots.

David Wright: Didn’t you know Putin calls Jacinda at midnight everyday to get military instructions. And now China wants to know from Jacinda how to sink an American aircraft carrier in the South China Sea.

Jenny Whyte: I’m just a bit tired of all the batshit crazy, sexist garbage I’m seeing towards Ardern, especially coming from women who I’ve fought alongside to some degree, against sex self ID. I really think it’s unlikely the 3 women I named are in that group to do “political research”. Ultimately this is my Facebook page. No one has to agree with me here, I welcome diverse views and debate on a range of subjects. I very rarely block or mute or unfriend.

Jennifer Scott: you are literally putting other woman’s name in a post and complaining about a Facebook page. what a waste of your life. I don’t like Jacinda and Mandates of experimental drugs are illegal. I hope Jacinda gets what’s coming to her.

David Wright: And tell me Jennifer what do you think is coming to her?

Jennifer Scott: Why are you supporting everyone being forced to have an experimental drug?

Jenny Whyte: no one is being forced to be vaccinated. I don’t support the mandates across the board, I think they breach the Bill of Rights Act, and it’s good to see that being challenged in court. Democracy in action. I’m also not a fucking psycho about it.

David Wright: No one forced me to have the drug and after three billion shots worldwide two things are certain. One it is not experimental. Two it is not Jacinda’s drug. She’s a talented woman but inventing drugs is probably beyond her skills. But thank you for giving her the credit.

Jennifer Scott:? yes, people have been forced to be vaccinated or they loose their jobs. That’s forced….thats what a mandate is. so I still have no idea why you have my name written on your facebook page. but hey, your not psycho! lol

Jennifer Scott: so you have long term research on the drug/Jab? so its not Jacinda’s drug? then who’s is it? and why do I have to take it or loose my job?

David Wright: I have your name on my Facebook page? You really are a loony tune. A completely over the cliff nutter. Until tonight thanks to Jenny I’d never heard of you. I suspect the sooner we restore that relationship the better.

Then there was silence. Jennifer went off to her bed and my night as an internet mogul was done. I’m just a touch ashamed to admit that, like my first time in a casino, it was actually quite fun. Jenny, you have led me astray. I will fight the temptation for this to become a habit.

This week I have spoken to two people who were born in the Middle East. One of course is Eyad. He was born in Syria before coming to New Zealand as a refugee three or four years ago. The other is a Palestinian born nurse who is part of the team taking care of me at North Shore Hospital. Both are lovely people. New Zealand really lucked out when they decided to make this place their home.

One of our conversations was about the CBS foreign correspondent, Charlie D’Agata who in relation to the war in Ukraine said:

“This isn’t a place, with all due respect, like Iraq or Afghanistan, that has seen conflict raging for decades,” he commented. “You know, this is a relatively civilized, relatively European – I have to choose those words carefully, too – city where you wouldn’t expect that or hope that it’s going to happen.”

I can’t imagine anything more racist than those 51 words. Killing Afghans and Iraqis, that’s fine. Americans have been killing them for decades. It is almost a national sport.  Afghans and Iraqis are used to it. But blue eyed, white, civilized Europeans, dear me no. “You wouldn’t expect that or hope it is going to happen to them”   

D’Agata’s casual dismissal of Middle East lives as target practice for the American war machine is a disgrace. Matched only by his elevation of European lives to a position far superior and worthy of protection. What on earth gave him the idea that it is ok to compare the value of peoples’ lives and who qualifies as civilized? Come to think of it, I do know what gave him that idea. America taught him that from the day he was born.

If that is D’Agata’s idea of, choosing his words carefully, I’d hate to think what he would say after a few drinks with his white friends on a Saturday night in New York. Does he frequent a bar with a sign saying, “Civilized Europeans Only”? It wouldn’t surprise me.

I told Eyad and my nurse about this example of racism and asked what they thought. To my stunned surprise they gave me the same reply.

“I hear that sort of thing quite often”, they said. “Yes, even here in New Zealand. I’ve got to the stage where I just ignore it. I let it wash over me and move on. It is usually not malicious, just ignorance.”

Were they right I thought? Was prejudice and racism as prevalent as they implied. And of course, the answer is yes. Here are three examples.

A few years ago, I was General Manager of a medium sized sheepskin processing business. After my first week, the Factory Manager, Brian Cumberland, took me to the local pub to have a drink and get to know the factory workforce. As the owner of the pub poured our drinks, he apologised for the factory smells the workers brought into the bar on a Friday after work. The superior scorn in his voice was unmistakable.

Brian fixed him with a cold-as-death stare and said, “I guess the smell of their money is the same.” And turned and walked away.

Even more years ago, when I was at university, my mother and stepfather were transferred to the mining town of Westport. In the evening of our second day in the town my mother and I were walking along the main street. A member of Westport’s elite Dellaca family, came out of his shop to welcome the new arrivals to the town. His welcome included an explanation of how the coal miners lowered the class of the community.

My mother raised herself to her full 5 foot 8 inches and said, “The miners Mr Dellaca, the miners are the salt of the earth”. And turned and walked away.

During my year coaching in Saudi Arabia, a South African coach called AJ asked Eyad’s brother to drive him around town collecting grocery supplies. The purchases took longer to find than expected. AJ arrived back at the pool a few minutes late for our next session of a conference. That night I read the report AJ had sent to the Federation Head Office in Riyadh. He ripped into Eyad’s brother for causing the conference to start late. He didn’t say as much but there was a clear inference of Arabs being too lazy to get out of their own way. That could not be allowed to pass. Eyad’s brother had given up his lunch time to drive AJ around town. His thanks was a racist tirade.

The next day I took AJ aside and made it clear he was never to bring those racist views into any pool I had anything to do with. And turned and walked away.

And so, whenever racism and prejudice are found, none of us should ignore it. Bad people get away with bad things when good people do nothing. Call it out. Set them straight. They probably, “know not what they do”. But the act of not letting it pass makes New Zealand a better place.

Swimwatch readers may be aware that I help Eyad Masoud with his swimming. I met Eyad in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. I was coaching on a year’s contract with the Saudi Swimming Federation. When I came back to New Zealand, Eyad came too.

Eyad’s swimming career had been blighted by a number of factors. Growing up in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, his best coach by far was his father. The professionals in the city either would not help because of Eyad’s Syrian nationality or they didn’t have a clue about the training he needed. But, by far the most severe handicap was the lack of opportunities to compete. Eyad’s Syrian nationality meant that he could not enter Federation run meets. His racing was restricted to meets run as part of the Saudi University sports program. At best, that provided him with about 6 races a year.

There is no need to be an ASCA Level 5 coach to know that 6 races a year is woefully inadequate. The Russian sprinter, Alexander Popov used a schedule of 100 races a year. In the first seven years of her New Zealand swimming career Jane Copland averaged 70 races a year. As a comparison I entered Olympic Gold Medalist, Rhi Jeffrey, in an average of 58 races each year. Fifty second 100-meter swimmer, Joe Skuba, swam an average of 40 races a year.

Unfortunately, even when Eyad came to New Zealand his race schedule was restricted. He certainly could not race in Australia. Refugees are not allowed to travel overseas. Local meets in Auckland, Northland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty were not always easy to find and frequently interfered with Eyad’s university and learn to swim work schedule. We did make some progress, lifting the number of races from 6 a year to about 30. Still not enough but better than 6.

Then came Covid. For two years racing was erratic. Covid would increase and racing would stop. Covid would decline and races would resume. The whole thing was a hit-and-miss mess. It was no one’s fault. Jacinda was protecting the country. Swimming New Zealand was obeying the rules. But all of us were back to a Saudi diet of not much more than 6 races a year.

And then in the past six months, thanks to some talented officials at Swimming New Zealand and around the Regions, New Zealand began to innovate. Meets that obeyed the rules were possible. In fact, programmes were invented that were better than pre-Covid days. The Lydiard/Jelley training program I follow depends on a full programme of races leading up to a pinnacle meet. That has always been a struggle in New Zealand. But this season is like living in the United States again. Meets every weekend – no problem at all.

This season, in the 10 weeks prior to the New Zealand National Championships, Eyad is entered in 7 meets and 29 races. Thanks to administrators in the Waikato Region, North Shore Swimming, Auckland Region and at Swimming New Zealand we have the perfect racing preparation. So, a thank you has been well earned.

I would especially like to compliment the Auckland Region administration who came up with the idea of spreading their March meet over three weekends. The schedule of races is perfect preparation for the Nationals. One race a day. Six races in total. Plenty of rest. Good 50m pool. It is a real opportunity to swim best times. And being one race a day it means maximum pressure to swim fast on the first occasion. We are back in Florida. Popov, Jeffrey, Phelps, Lochte, Dressel and Ledecky would love it. Very well-done you guys.

And so, for the FIRST time in Eyad’s swimming lifetime he has a good racing run into the National Championships. It has only taken twenty years or so, but thanks to Covid and some innovative administrators we have it at last. Fingers crossed nothing comes along to screw it up this time.