Duncan Grant, with multiple sclerosis (MS), crosses the finish line after a swim with Mastering Mountains grant programme — *Photo credit: Duncan Grant*

Congratulations to Duncan Grant, who recently completed his mission to complete a series of ocean swims. Duncan's incredible resilience and consistency have paid off in a fantastic achievement.

Duncan has never been one to sit still for long. Whether it was growing up on a farm in the Central North Island or later working as a PE teacher, staying active has always been his MO. So, when his body started sending warning signals, he brushed them off and kept going.

He tended to throw himself into a variety of physical activities. But behind the scenes, things were starting to shift in his body – burning in his hands and feet, and stinging in his hip.

Looking back, Duncan thinks he probably had MS for nearly two decades before it was officially diagnosed. “I’ve always been really fit, healthy and active,” he says. “Maybe that’s what kept it from surfacing properly for so long.”

“Being able to share your thoughts and feelings in a space where people just get it, has been the biggest highlight.”

— Duncan Grant

In 2020, Duncan had a major relapse, leading doctors to discover brain and spinal lesions. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) that July. When he was finally diagnosed, he tried to outrun it: “At that stage, I was still in the mindset of trying to beat MS out of my body,” he says. “I tried not to accept that I had it. I wasn’t going to let it stop me.”

However, Duncan soon found that his condition wasn’t something he could muscle through anymore – he had to slow down, re-evaluate, and change course.

Finding a way forward

It was around this time of recalibration that Duncan came across the Mastering Mountains Programme. Approaching it with a “What’s the worst that can happen?” attitude, he applied for the programme and was accepted in June 2023.

Duncan believes that physical activity is extremely important, especially in the outdoors, and the programme offered a way for him to build on an activity that he’d always enjoyed: ocean swimming. “I chose to pursue ocean swimming, not as a one-off, but as an ongoing journey.” Duncan entered the Mastering Mountains Programme determined that his mission would be the start of a journey to reclaim this outdoor pursuit.

With the help of the programme, Duncan was able to fund equipment and event entries. He began training for his mission to swim from Rangitoto to St Heliers beach. “I wasn’t a very good swimmer,” he laughs, “but I just stuck with it. It’s low impact on the body and it keeps me going.”

However, the journey wasn’t straightforward. Five days before the Rangitoto swimming event, in November 2023, Duncan came down with COVID-19 and had to pull out. Instead, he decided to participate in three Ocean Swim Series events, but this goal was not without its challenges. The first swim was hard at times and confronting, as he grappled with his new limitations with MS. Shortly after, he broke his foot in two places, which sidelined him for the rest of the 2024 season.

Ready for the 2025 season, Duncan completed a series of smaller swims, and the 3.4 km Paihia to Russell event. However, he faced further obstacles, including additional medical challenges and a cyclone, each thwarting his other planned swim events. He finally completed the last part of his mission with friends in April 2025, swimming from Umupuia to Maraetai. “I finished it tired,” he said, “with legs that didn't want to walk me out of the water.” Duncan jokes, “Mine’s probably been the longest Mastering Mountains mission to take place.”

Despite the challenges, Duncan refused to be kept down. “I just keep at it. I’m pretty stubborn. I just take the challenge, refocus, and then continue with the journey.” Duncan reflects that he didn’t realise quite how persistent and resilient he was until he began his journey of ocean swimming. As he persevered, he found he could manage his limitations and engage fully in ocean swimming as a path to an active life, despite MS.

Finding his community

Another unexpected benefit of the programme was the community Duncan found. “Only people with MS can understand MS,” he says. Duncan recalls moments as a PE teacher, where parents would ask about the limp in his left leg: “I would just say it’s an old rugby injury,” he explains. It was easier to downplay it as an injury, rather than open up about a condition that is often misunderstood.

Through Mastering Mountains, however, Duncan met people who understood the unspoken challenges. “Being able to share your thoughts and feelings in a space where people just get it, has been the biggest highlight.”

Finding this community has given him the courage to talk to his students and their parents about MS. Although people still misunderstand the condition, he can now manage this more easily, in part, because of the strength he gains from his Mastering Mountains community.

Swimming as a way of life

Duncan found that ocean swimming gave him a new rhythm. “I swim three to four times a week now,” he says, “It’s good for my lungs, my heart, and my soul.” On some occasions, it’s just a quick dip; on others, a longer swim that lets him breathe deeply again. It is a space for him that is therapeutic and deeply restorative. With quiet persistence, he’s transformed swimming from a challenge into a constant. His regular swims are proof of how far he has come.

Duncan’s journey is one of resilience – not just in the face of MS, but in his relentless pursuit of movement and openness to community. “You can’t change the diagnosis,” he says, “but you can change what you do with it.” It’s this mindset that is at the heart of his story; it’s his new MO.

Duncan believes life is not about conquering MS – it’s about adapting, persevering, and finding strength in movement. Not every mountain needs to be overcome in the traditional sense, because sometimes, the real victory is simply learning how to keep on going.