Katerina Nēhua

Katerina Nēhua (6 February 1903 – 15 June 1948) was a New Zealand endurance swimmer, who competed in a number of swimming competitions in Australia in the 1930s and held the world record for staying afloat in water. Born Katerina Waetford, she used her mother's maiden name professionally, and in her personal life, she was known as Katherine Darley.

Biography Nēhua was born on 6 February 1903 at Whakapara. She belonged to the iwi (tribe) of Ngāpuhi and was a descendant of the chief Eru Patuone. On 11 April 1923 she married a local English farmer, Joseph Darley, who was working as a miner. The family moved to Sydney in 1927. After Darley was made redundant from his job as a mechanic, they found themselves in difficult financial circumstances. Other contestants included well-known swimmers Lily Copplestone (from New Zealand) and Mercedes Gleitze, who had recently set a record of 43 hours staying afloat in water. She was reported as saying on the occasion that she would make her next attempt in an enclosed swimming pool with warm water. She broke her own record in May 1931 at the municipal baths in Brisbane, managing 72 hours 21 minutes.

Nēhua was able to earn money to support her family and said that she was "proud to be able to uphold [her] Māori race in this class of sport". She died of a heart attack on 15 June 1948, survived by her daughters (her husband having pre-deceased her).