Torie Lancaster-Jew

I’m swimming to support suicide prevention because this is a cause that sits deeply in both my personal life and the work I do every day. As a leader with Scouts Australia and a calisthenics coach, I spend a huge part of my life working alongside young people. I see their growth, their struggles, their pressures, and their incredible potential. Kids and teenagers matter enormously to me — not just as participants in programs or sport, but as whole human beings who deserve to feel safe, supported, and hopeful about their future. When you work closely with youth, you quickly realise how important strong mental health support and open conversations truly are. My decision to swim is also shaped by personal connections to suicide. Like many people, I have seen firsthand the devastating ripple effects it leaves behind — the grief, the unanswered questions, and the lasting impact on families, friends, and communities. Suicide doesn’t just affect one person; it touches everyone around them. Those experiences have made it impossible for me to stand by and do nothing. Swimming is my way of turning awareness into action. Every lap represents a commitment to speaking up, reducing stigma, and helping create spaces where people feel safe asking for help before they reach crisis point. Prevention starts with conversations, education, and community support — things I try to model every day as a youth leader and coach. We cannot assume someone else will fix this problem. Suicide prevention requires all of us: checking in on each other, teaching young people resilience and coping skills, and making mental health support visible and accessible. If we want a future where fewer families experience this loss, we have to act now. I’m swimming because young people matter. I’m swimming because lives matter. And I’m swimming because doing something — no matter how small it may seem — is always better than doing nothing