Catching Up With... swimmer Tui Wood | Canterbury Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Canterbury

Tui Shipston used to make the headlines as New Zealand swimming's Golden Girl.

But nearly 40 years later, now Tui Wood, she never expected to be in the news again for aquatic achievements.

That happened this month when Wood, a Redcliffs resident, saw a man being swept out to sea and swan out from her home to rescue him from drowning.

The teenage Tui Shipston, always with a cheerful grin, was one of Canterbury's most popular sports personalities of the 1960s.

Coached by Jack Breward, she was a relative latecomer to the pool, learning to swim when she was nine.

The medley and freestyle specialist competed at the 1966 Commonwealth Games (at 14, the St Margarets College student was the youngest member of the team) and the 1968 Olympics (turning 17 in Mexico and finishing seventh in the 400m individual medley final). But the year after the Olympics she retired when she looked capable of even bigger successes.

It was a measure of her potential that she swam a butterfly race only twice, not long before her retirement ? and ranked second in the world timewise for the 220.

However, Wood has no regrets about her early retirement.

"I think I had just had enough and wanted to do other things and play other sports," she said.

"To make a final in those days when in swimming you had to do it out of school or working hours and you didn't have the facilities they have nowadays, I was quite happy."

Meeting husband-to-be Brett when he was 16 and she 15 was a factor in leaving swimming. The former teenage sweethearts now have three married children ? Richard, 30, Simon, 28, and Sarah, 27. Three cats and a dog have stayed at home.

In the last year or so, Wood has returned to the pool, swimming for an hour at QE2 or Pioneer once or twice a week.

She also enjoys mountain biking and long walks on the Port Hills.

Wood and her husband own Alltrade Tools, and through Powerbuilt sponsor some motor racers including local driver Andy Knight. As a result you can sometimes find the former swimming champion cheering at the car track.