Erin Dawson

I’m swimming this March because too many young lives are lost to suicide. Every lap I swim will help make sure there’s a safe place for young people to turn when life feels overwhelming. Suicide isn’t just a statistic to me — it’s something that has deeply impacted my life, my family and my friends. We’ve felt the heartbreak, the shock and the kind of grief that never quite leaves you after losing people we love. It’s a pain that ripples through families, through friendship circles, through entire communities. I’m swimming for those we’ve lost. I’m swimming for the families left behind. And I’m swimming in the hope that more young people will have access to support before it’s too late. If sharing this and swimming some laps can help even one person feel less alone, it’s worth every single one.