At 1am on Friday morning, in the cold and darkness of Tasmania’s Derwent River, Anchor CEO Heidi Tucker began the final leg of an extraordinary journey. 34km later, after hours of relentless focus and physical endurance, she emerged from the water having completed one of Australia’s most demanding open water ultramarathon swims.

By conquering the Derwent, Heidi has achieved the unique feat of completing the Australian Triple Crown of Ultramarathon Swimming, a series that spans more than 77km across three states. Having already crossed the Rottnest Channel in Western Australia and completed the Palm to Shelly swim in New South Wales, the Derwent River was the final and most formidable challenge.

But for Heidi, this was never simply about distance or checking off a list.

She has been swimming since eight years old. Over time, that early love evolved into long distance and marathon swimming, a pursuit that demands discipline, patience and mental clarity. Marathon swimming offers no shortcuts and no crowds for most of the journey. It requires preparation, resilience and the ability to keep moving forward when conditions shift.

Those same qualities have shaped Heidi’s four-decade career in social services.

Today as CEO of Anchor, Heidi leads programs that support young people experiencing homelessness, particularly those transitioning from the care system into independence. It is work that requires sustained effort and a long term view, where progress can be gradual, outcomes achieved only over time, and which required sustained endurance and patience where commitment to stay alongside young people through uncertainty is central to Anchor’s approach.

Heidi chose to dedicate her Derwent River swim to that mission.

In Heidi’s own words, there is a strong parallel between ultramarathon swimming and homelessness advocacy, demanding both courage and tenacity to commit to a long journey without immediate reward. In the water, Heidi propelled herself forward stroke by stroke through cold, ever-changing conditions. In her leadership, she brings the same steadiness and resolve to complex social challenges.

Completing the Derwent River swim represents a significant personal achievement. It also stands as a powerful reflection of values that extend well beyond the river. When leaders align personal challenge with social impact, it reinforces the importance of acting with purpose.

Heidi’s swim demonstrates what sustained commitment looks like in action, and at the same time also shining a spotlight on the strength of community support, as donors, colleagues and supporters leaned in to back her journey and the young people it represents, through donating to her cause.

Anchor extends its congratulations to Heidi on this remarkable accomplishment. More importantly, we acknowledge the young people at the heart of this effort. The funds raised will directly support programs that help them secure housing, build skills and move toward independence with confidence.

Heidi’s swim may have been completed in half a day, but the impact it supports will continue long after the river has settled.