The Desert Swimmer: how Brendan Cullen overcame depression and found joy in marathon swimming

Brendan Cullen works on an outback sheep farm near Broken Hill in NSW. In 2015 he sought help at the local hospital, not knowing what was wrong with himself. He was diagnosed with severe depression. Also that same year, he watched his brother compete in an open-water swim and he thought; "I want some of that". But how do you train for marathon swims, like the English Channel, when you live 600km from the nearest coast? Brendan's just published a book about his life, and how he trained to swim one of the world's most famous stretches of ocean. Brendan talks with the Blue Room's Sabra Lane about the book and his inspirational life.

Content warning: there is some swearing in this episode and we discuss mental health. If you need to talk with someone about poor mental health, you can call Lifelife on 13 11 14.

Topics:

Swimming, English Channel, joy, inspiration, ocean swimming, open water competitions, training, severe depression, friendship, swimming tribes.