From the English Channel to Ultra Marathons: Why This Endurance Couple Swears by CurraNZ

Meet Kiwi athletes Anna O’Byrne and her partner Adam (above, left and centre) - an unstoppable duo juggling elite endurance sports, full-time healthcare careers, parenthood, and postgraduate study. 

For the past three years, CurraNZ has been a constant companion in their high-performance lifestyle, helping them achieve impressive international sporting accomplishments.

Anna (pictured below, at the finish of UTMB in 2023) is a force on the trail running scene, notching up some serious accolades in New Zealand and Europe:

• 2025: 7th female, Tarawera 100 miler
• 2024: 2nd female Great Naseby Water Race 100km, 5th female Tarawera 100 miler
• 2023: 10th in age group at UTMB (170km), 6th female Tarawera 100 miler
• 2021: Set an unsupported FKT on NZ’s Milford Track (57km) - earning a finalist spot for International FKT of the Year
  
  
  

Meanwhile, Adam’s conquests are in the water, with a Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming under his belt:

• 2023: English Channel (33km - 11 hours, 21 minutes)
• 2024: Manhattan Island Circumnavigation (45.9km, 7 hours 29 mins)
• 2019: Catalina Channel

He also boasts wins at the New Zealand Ice Swimming Championships (500m and 1,000m) and was an open-water medallist in the 3km at the Masters Games.

Why CurraNZ is Their Go-To Performance Partner

As an Emergency Department Nurse Practitioner (Anna) and an urgent care General Manager (Adam), the pair lead an incredibly full professional life. They credit CurraNZ with helping them stay on top of their game:

“We don’t have time for sore muscles or sickness,” says Anna. “We have two children Dominic (11 years) and Jordan (8). In my spare time I am studying for a post graduate certificate in women's health.

“Since taking CurraNZ, we've had noticeably less muscle fatigue and almost no DOMS.

“When we travelled to Europe for Adam’s English Channel swim and my UTMB race, we barely had any jet lag, didn’t get sick, and I adjusted to altitude with ease.

“Adam took  CurraNZ during his swim feeds, and I dosed every 4-6 hours during UTMB.”

Interestingly, when life got too busy and Anna stopped taking CurraNZ for a few weeks, she discovered the hidden daily benefits that blackcurrant had been providing over the previous few years.

“I never get sick and I had a suspicion this was due to CurraNZ, which was confirmed when I ran out and didn’t take it for three weeks - proving to me that CurraNZ had been silently protecting me all along.”

Currently, Adam is prepping for his next icy challenge: swimming an official “ice mile”.

Anna says, "Adam has been swimming in very cold water to prepare for this event. Swimming in cooler conditions can be very fatiguing and he feels like CurraNZ assists in minimising this fatigue.”

Congrats to both Anna and Adam for their incredible success in endurance sport - and we look forward to following their progress in the months and years to come.