Derwent River Big Swim

Help me make it meaningful

The Derwent River Big Swim

This Friday,  or more likely Saturday, I’ll be swimming the Derwent River Big Swim alongside Ned Wieland, who works closely with R U OK?

The swim follows the River Derwent in Tasmania, starting at New Norfolk Bridge and finishing under the Tasman Bridge in Hobart — 34 kilometres downstream. We’ll enter the water somewhere between 3:30 and 4:00 am. With the current behind us, it should take around 6–7 hours.  Of most concern however is the varied water temperature ranging from 15 to 22 degrees. 

The BlackDog Institute (BDI) flag will be up.

Supporting Black Dog was the easiest decision of my life.

When I was three, my father died by suicide. He was 28, lived with what was then called manic depression, now known as bipolar disorder, and left behind six children… ..But he experienced rapid, volatile mood swings that shaped everything around him.

In 2013, I was diagnosed by Professor Gordon Parker at the Black Dog Institute with the same mental illness. That diagnosis brought clarity. For years before that, swimming had unknowingly become my therapy. Now, alongside meditation, medication, proper sleep and nutrition, it remains one of the anchors that helps regulate mood and prevent overwhelm.

As a criminal lawyer, I see the consequences of untreated mental illness every day: people acting in the grip of manic or depressive episodes, with consequences that can alter the course of their lives. Greater understanding has allowed me to approach these matters with compassion and clarity, providing advice that seeks not only a just outcome before the Court, but a more stable and constructive path beyond it.

Ned and I both carry personal reasons for supporting mental health organisations. This swim is about more than endurance. It’s about backing research, support and real hope… particularly in men’s mental health, where too many still struggle in silence.

Below are some of the most recent research insights and findings from the BDI

We’ll post the live tracker on the day so you can follow along.

Thank you for the support in donating🙏🏻. It truly means a great deal. 💛