FRESH from rescuing a swimmer in danger under Frankston pier, Senior Constable Julie Morris is planning a pier-to-pier swim from the Frankston to Mornington.
The endurance swim in January will raise money for the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation.
To be called #piertopierforourpeers the swim also has the nickname “10k for 10k”.
Senior Constable Morris, a member of Frankston police and a Mornington Peninsula Shire councillor, led a distressed Corey Wood to safety from under Frankston pier on a hot and windy Thursday 22 November (“Police to the rescue in pier drama” The News 26/11/19).
An accomplished long-distance swimmer, Senior Constable Morris had to fight against waves that were topping the pier and a strong undercurrent.
The pair was reunited later with Senior Constable Morris getting a thank-you hug from Corey Wood for her role.
Senior Constable Morris will swim the 10 kilometres from Frankston to Mornington with colleague Sergeant Daniel Burton on 8 January in the hope of raising $10,000 for police and emergency service members suffering from PTSD and work-related mental health conditions.
She said police suicide was a constant concern. “We’ve lost five, and the most recent was last week,” she said.
The keen triathletes have been swimming together for three years and share a passion for long-distance swimming throughout the year.
They are keeping the swim direction flexible depending on the weather. “Ideally we want the wind and tides behind us,” Senior Constable Morris said.
“We will hug the coastline by swimming from pole to pole rather than going direct. A support crew in kayaks will have food and drink and a spare wetsuit just in case one of us gets into trouble. It will be a challenge but, no matter how hard it is, if we can lean on one another and get there it will be worth it – especially if we the raise the $10,000.”
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 3 December 2019
