Why I swim
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.
I'm swimming to save lives
Suicide remains the leading cause of death for young people in Australia.
More than 1 in 3 are experiencing mental health difficulties, yet over a million are not getting the support they need.
I’m taking part in Laps for Life to honour my grandaughter Elizabeth and to make sure help is always available and easier to access, when life is difficult and perhaps overwhelming.
Please donate to my fundraiser and help more young people get the support they deserve.
My Swim Progress
Completed
33.15km (663 laps)
My goal
20km
My Impact
So far I’ve raised $517 to provided 129.265 young people experiencing mental health difficulties with vital support.
Top Donation
$329
Byfords
Shoutout to Byfords – my biggest supporter so far with a $329 donation to help young people get the mental health support they need through ReachOut!
Funds Raised
Note: displays max previous 3 years of fundraising only
My Updates
Tuesday March 31, 2026
Today is my last swim for Laps for Life in March 2026. So 100 laps, 5km to honour Elizabeth, who was not very old when she first swam 5 km at Paul Sadler Swimland Rowville. For Elizabeth swimming was a place of peace and tranquility always.
I thank Southeast Leisure, for supporting Frances and me with free admission into Oasis Pool (Dandenong) during our committment to Laps for Life, in memory of Elizabeth and as support for her family, friends and acquaintenances, who all miss her very much.
We hope that our fundraising will provide help to some other young people, who find life particularly overwhelming.
If you can donate to this cause, please do, but if you cannot then please, at least, talk about the issue of youth suicide to your friends and acquaintenances, so that perhaps another family does not have to go through what Elizabeth's family are going through.
Good bye Elizabeth - our beautiful grandaughter!
Saturday March 28, 2026
This morning the pool is very quiet. There is no Otters Swim Club, taking up 5 lanes and there seems to be less people anyway. So I get a lane to myself, for most of the time - maybe it is the fuel crisis.
Swimming is easier today, 50 laps, in better time, than usual - still not as fast as Elizabeth, could have done.
Share
Tuesday March 24, 2026
Today was a good day - I swam 100 laps, or 5km in old money to honor Elizabeth who loved swimming and who swam 7.5 km and 10 km, as well as an ocean swim. I remember how excited she was, when telling Frances and I about her 5 km swim. She was much faster than me and eventually managed to swim longer distances - we laughed about how long it took her to swim a 50 metre lap, compared to her grandparents, Frances and I.
Today as I swam my laps, I thought about Elizabeth.
Grandparents have a special place in grandchildren's lives - we do not bring them up and do not see them all the time. But we love them regardless!
Whenever we saw Elizabeth, she was happy and had a smile for us. We never saw her angry or upset and it seemed she always gave in to the needs of others, if there was any conflict - saying, that will be OK.
Whenever we went away, we always knew if Elizabeth had come to the house with Darren or Kristen, in our absence, because there would be a small Origami folded creation on the table when we arrived home.
Goodbye "beautiful girl".
Share
Saturday March 21:
Today thanks to the generosity of Southeast Leisure, who are supporting Frances and me with free entry into Oasis Pool Dandenong, during March for the Laps for Life Fundraiser helping to prevent youth suicide, I swam another 46 laps. I had plans to swim more, but somehow I was slower and the pool was busier.
Swimming keeps the impetus going, but it is not really enough - we need to get help to young people, when things are getting bad and perhaps overwhelming, but BEFORE things get too bad! Not just for the young people themselves, but also for their families, friends and all who know them. The "ripple effect" of suicide spreads so far - I have seen it first hand!
Laps for Life fundraising is trying to address this - please support it, if you can.
Share
Tuesday March 17.
Today is my 5th swim for Laps for Life in March, with 4 more to go. Thanks go to Southeast Leisure at Oasis Pool in Dandenong for supporting Frances and me, with free entry to Oasis Pool during March, whilst we support the Laps for Life Fundraiser and also emotionally support Elizabeth's family.
Today, for lots of reasons, I think about the "Ripple Effect" of suicide. It is a tragedy in so many respects - not limited to the person concerned, but also to their families, friends and acquaintenances.
If more young people can somehow gain access to help to prevent this happening to other families, then Well Done!! Laps for Life!
Share
Saturday March 14, 2026
Another swim at Oasis Pool Dandenong, through the generosity of Southeast Leisure, who are supporting Frances and me with free pool entry during March for Laps for Life.
During my swim today, I thought a lot about Elizabeth, who loved swimming and also about my daughter Amy (Dec), who also enjoyed swimming and who swam reguarly at Oasis Pool in Dandenong.
Elizabeth has AMY as her second name, so it is not possible to think about one and not the other.
Amy died before Elizabeth was born, but I think they would have got on well together - they also shared a love of Music!
Share
Monday March 10.
Today another swim, through the generosity of Southeast Leisure, at Oasis Pool Dandenong, who are supporting Frances and I with free pool entry during March, as we work on Fundraising for Prevention of Youth Suicide.
If you can, please donate to this cause, which is so very close to our heart - to remember Elizabeth.
Today was a hard swim, at first, but became easier as it went on. Some days are like that, others are just hard - but it is never easy.
For March, the goal makes it all worthwhile.
Share
Oasis Pool Dandenong Support - Southeast Leisure
Today is the FIRST swim for Frances and me, thanks to the generosity of Southeast Leisure (Oasis Pool) at Dandenong. They are suppoting both of us with free admission during March to help us to add to our goal, for prevention of Youth suicide.
It is actually our second swim for the month, as we swam early this week before the wonderful offer from Southeast Leisure.
It is a challenging day today, for everyone who knew her, as today is also Elizabeth's (17th) birthday.
Happy birthday Elizabeth...........Happy Birthday beautiful girl...........there is nothing we can give you now, nor any way we can help, except of course, never to forget you!!
.......How could anyone imagine forgetting you???............
Share
Oasis Pool Dandenong - Southeast Leisure
Great news - Just heard from Southeast Leisure, in Dandenong, that they will support Frances and me with free entries into Oasis Pool during March, for Laps for life fundraising.
This means we can donate the cost of however many time we swim during March to Laps for Life fundraising.
Share
My Team
Thank you to my
supporters
$329.16
Byfords
$56.24
Byfords
Well done, Paul, we're cheering you on, Siobhan, Martin & Robbie.
$54.12
Paul Parer
Cost of Free Swimming during March, donated by Southeast Leisure Dandenong (Oasis Pool)
$43.60
Barbara Baker
You’re amazing. Take care of you.
$27.81
Kylie Haberl
$6.13
Mia McGregor
Thank you Paul, Siobhan, Martin and Robbie