10K Swim for Youth Mental Health

Why we're swimming

I lost my brother Gabe in June 2020 due to challenges he faced with mental health. He was a deeply caring, quiet and generous person. His absence has left a void and lifelong grief that will never be overcome, only endured.

In the wake of that loss and after having my first child this past year, grief and joy came together to spark an idea.

This May, I'll swim 10 kilometres with my friend and swimming buddy, Tim, through open ocean. It will be the furthest we’ve both ever swam and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. But as I’ve been training, feeling strain and ache and doubts, I’ve had a mantra that’s played, almost unbidden: “this pain is nothing compared to going through a mental health crisis.”

This swim won't be easy. But I think about my child growing up, and the world I want her to inherit, one where a mental health crisis doesn't have to be faced in silence or without support. Tim and I are raising funds for Orygen, whose work in youth mental health and early intervention is helping build that world. We are deeply grateful for any contribution you can spare.