When Brendan reached out for help, you were there, providing the mental health support he needed to get his life back on track. Now he is at peace with himself and finds great joy in helping others in the bush.
For years, Brendan struggled with the emotional rollercoaster of family farm succession planning, drought and isolation. He experienced extreme fatigue, lack of interest in socialising, and too often, didn’t have the tools to cope with overwhelming feelings.
Realising these ‘red flags’ meant something deeper, Brendan made the brave decision to get professional support in 2015 and was diagnosed with depression. “A diagnosis was a relief and empowered me to change my life,” he said.
Brendan accessed regular ongoing support from our Mental Health team and used endurance swimming in extremely remote locations, like Menindee Lakes in South West NSW as part of his recovery ‘toolkit’.
Back on his feet, he wanted to do more. He became a We’ve Got Your Back Program Champion, our peer counselling program delivered through our Mental Health team and Lifeline. He then went on to swim the English Channel, not once but twice, and wrote an inspirational book about his experience through it all!
“I didn’t realise so many other people out there had similar issues. When I had the opportunity to become a Champion within the RFDS We’ve Got Your Back Program, I thought, ‘Wow, I’m able to help people in the community.’ I’ll give the RFDS every part of me to make it work for those people out in the desert.”
If you’re interested to hear more about how Brendan turned his life around, you can listen to our Flying Doctor podcast episode where he tells his heartwarming story.
Or read about Brendan’s journey in his book, ‘The Desert Swimmer’ which you can find in our RFDS DocShop.
