Participants in a Macedon Ranges fitness and fundraising challenge are making a splash to raise awareness for youth mental health and suicide prevention in rural and regional communities.
The fundraiser, LAP it UP, started on October 1 and will run until October 15, with participants completing as many laps as they can to raise money for health promotion charity, Youth Live4Life.
The Gisborne-born event started in 2018 when father and daughter team Sean and Kirsten McKinney hosted a continual 2866 lap relay, equalling the number of Australians that suicided in 2016.
More than 5500 laps were swum that day and the event became a continuous addition to the Macedon Ranges events calendar.
Kyneton resident Sarah Lockhart said she decided to participate as a dedication to her friend’s 15-year-old daughter who took her own life in March 2021.
“Tilly’s mum and aunty are very dear friends of mine so I swam to raise awareness of mental health issues in regional areas, to raise funds and to challenge myself,” she said.
“I also really like the fact it is a local charity focused on helping in regional areas.”
Fellow participant and Lancefield resident, Caleb said he heard about the event at swimming training and is aiming to swim longer than the English Channel.
“I started aiming for 600 laps but smashed that, so I decided to aim for 1000 [last year],” he said.
“This year I am aiming for 1500 which is 3.5 kilometres longer than swimming across the English Channel.”
Caleb said he is looking forward to swimming laps with his mum and making a difference for kids who are struggling.
Woodend resident Brendan O’Connor is also participating for the second year in a row and said he entered the competition last year to get behind Live4Life and to motivate himself to exercise regularly.
“It’s a good form of exercise for my ailing body and good thinking time without distraction,” he said.
“It was a great opportunity to have conversations about mental health with work mates, friends and my teenage son who joined me in the pool from time to time.”
All funds raised go towards Youth Live4Life’s youth mental health and suicide prevention initiative.
Details: www.lapitup.org.au/home.
Lifeline: 13 11 14
