Hi, my name
is Heidi.
I will be swimming 34KM for young people without a home this February.
This is why I do it.
At 1am on 27 February 2026, I will step into the cold, black water of Tasmania’s Derwent River.
The city will be asleep.
The river will be silent.
And my swim will begin.
I will be swimming 34km kilometres, non-stop, through darkness and cold. Hours upon hours of intense physical exertion where my only allies are familiarity of rhythm, focus, and the sound of my own breathing.
This swim is the final leg of the Australian Triple Crown of Ultramarathon Swimming, a series that spans more than 77 kilometres across three states. I have already crossed the Rottnest Channel in Western Australia and completed the Palm to Shelly swim on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. The Derwent River Big Swim is the final piece.
Every stroke I take will be deliberate. Every kilometre I cover will be hard earned.
This final swim represents a life that has come full circle for me. A convergence of sorts, both metaphorically and figuratively, as a culmination of a lifetime pursuit for my beliefs. Decades of my life devoted to long distance swimming, and decades of this same life dedicated to social impact work. This swim is representative of a chosen life of commitment over comfort, staying present through difficulty, and believing that meaningful change is built through sustained effort, one stroke at a time.
This swim feels like a point where these two defining paths in my life collide. And I would love for you to get involved in my cause today.
My Life in the Water
I have been swimming since I was eight years old.
Water has always been a place of discipline, solitude, and clarity for me. Over time, that early love became long-distance swimming, then marathon swimming. A pursuit that removes distraction and leaves only what matters. Hours pass with nothing but breath, movement, and the quiet but constant negotiation between mind and body.
This relationship with endurance has been shaped by a lifetime of personal experiences. Early memories of time spent in the water with my father. Decades of swimming as a constant through change. A cancer diagnosis that sharpened my self-awareness of fragility, and urgency.
Swimming became how I process meaning, how I commit to what I believe in, and how I choose to always show up.
Endurance as my Fuel in Leadership
For more than forty years, I have devoted my professional life to working in social services.
My career has been dedicated to children and young people who have lived without stability, safety, or consistent support. Today, as CEO of Anchor, I lead programs supporting young people experiencing homelessness, particularly those transitioning out of the care system.
This work is arduous, intensive, long-term, and often unseen and unheard. Progress unfolds slowly. Trust builds over time. Outcomes depend on staying present when navigating a path feels impossible.
But these are the very same qualities have always defined my personal approach to physical endurance challenges. Preparation. Persistence. Belief in sustained effort. Leadership, for me, is lived rather than spoken. And that’s why I am choosing to swim for the young people I care for.
Help Turn My Endurance into Actual Impact
This final swim will support the Anchor MyLife Project.
My goal is to raise $10,000 to provide accommodation, mentoring, and long-term support for young people at risk of homelessness.
The Anchor MyLife Project offers stability at a time when life feels uncertain. It provides guidance, consistency, and the space to imagine a future that feels possible.
Every donation you make will directly strengthen that support.
My physical discomfort will eventually pass, but the need for safety and belonging for our young people is a lifelong pursuit.
Suggested Donation Amounts
Note donation amounts for every kilometre swum can be adjusted once you click the “Donate Now” button.
Be Part of my Journey
As I take on the final swim leg of this journey, I ask everyone who knows me to come alongside me this February.
This swim may be a solo effort, but the impact must most definitely be community-led. Every donation is a tangible way to stand alongside young people experiencing homelessness and to support the work that gives them stability, guidance, and a real chance at a better future.
By backing my swim, you are backing every second of my personal conviction over the past few decades of her life, and helping to turn this act of endurance into lasting change.
