Most people would have spent their morning with their Valentine's Day differently.
Mariana Morrison (Te Arawa) chose to spend her morning swimming 11.5km from Motiti Island to Maketū in the Bay of Plenty in a bid to raise funds for Hospice and in memory of her mother.
She is the first woman to ever complete the more than 11km journey from Motiti Island to Maketū without fins.
The 29-year-old wanted to attempt the challenge in remembrance of her mother, Rina Edwards who passed away from cancer late last year.
While the challenge was both mentally and physically testing, she says this is not the end of her endurance challenges.