Swim highlights suicide statistic

Brodie Cowburn brodie@baysidenews.com.au

EVERY day in Australia, an average of nine people die by suicide. In their memory, dozens of people plunge into the cold water at Oliver’s Hill each morning for nine minutes.

Members of the Oliver’s Hill Running Club and the Cold Water Club meet at the boat ramp each weekday at 6am for a nine-minute swim. Visitors are encouraged to talk to each other about their mental health and forge social connections.

Connor Sahely, who is in charge of the running club, is among those that regularly take to the water. He said, “we do nine minutes in the water because there are nine suicides a day.”

“Mental health has been a big thing coming out of Covid and the struggles with that, so it’s fantastic to raise awareness of that statistic. People ask us why not five or ten minutes, and we are able to educate on what those nine minutes represent,” he said. “For people struggling with mental health and want an outlet of positive minded people to connect with, this is great.

“We have typical numbers of around 30 people, from all ages and all backgrounds. We have a couple of kids come in, and one fellow in his early 70s pretty regularly, so it’s all people from different backgrounds. It’s fantastic to get in the water as a group and do something challenging.”

The swimmers are planning to get in the water on 90 days in winter.

The running club runs at Oliver’s Hill at 5.15am Monday to Friday, and 7am on Saturday. They head into the water at 6am on weekdays and 8am on Saturday. They also hold a Sunday session at 10am.

Sahely said the group is “free to anyone that wants to join with no cost and no fitness requirement.”

SWIMMERS after an early morning meet-up at Oliver’s Hill. Picture: Gary Sissons