The LIFE SAVING SWIM

One man's personal journey and struggle with depression, the extraordinary way he overcame it and his advice on how to deal with mental illness...

- JASON MCCORMACK with BRUCE "HOPPO" HOPKINS

When professional photographer (and part-time MAXIM snapper), Jason McCormack, found his dad unconscious on the floor of his apartment, he proceeded to perform CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation — but it was to no avail. “I watched as they took him out in a body bag — it was very traumatic,” Jason recalls. For Jase, what followed on from his shocking life-changing moment was a lot of mental health issues, but he was determined to deal with his demons and depression. His way of getting himself out it was to overcome his fear of deep water swimming and start doing ocean swims — to the point where he trained and conquered the infamous Golden Gate and Alcatraz swims in San Francisco, California.

“About two years ago I was on a boat moored just off Alcatraz, the infamous penitentiary that no-one is believed to have escaped from, and was about to jump into the ice-cold waters of San Francisco Bay to swim back to the South End Rowing Club, just near Fisherman’s wharf,” explains Jason. “The distance is about 2.5km, which is equivalent to around three laps across Bondi Beach — that’s about 800 metres from the Icebergs to the boat ramp on the northern end.”

To survive such an experience and the trauma of losing his father, Jason believes physical fitness and joining a community group are mandatory. “There were some really black days after dad’s death and I can honestly say the only thing that got me through it was the swim community at Bondi Icebergs. In particular, Eric Lobbecke and our swim group captain, former Icebergs President Alan Gow.”