City of Stirling Mayor and CEO to take the plunge for a great cause at the 2024 Swim for Life

City of Stirling Mayor Mark Irwin and CEO Stevan Rodic are set to make a splash for men’s mental health when they tackle the Swim for Life endurance challenge this weekend.

The Mayor and CEO will be joined by 12 other City staff members at the 2024 Swim for Life in the brand-new pool at Stirling Leisure – Inglewood, the biggest public outdoor lap pool in the southern hemisphere.

Now in its sixth year, the Swim for Life raises money for Perth-based charity Mens Talk, which aims to normalise conversations about men’s mental health and support the prevention of men’s suicide in Australia.

There will be two swimming events held across the weekend – a 24-hour relay starting at 5.00pm on Saturday 23 November and a nine-hour relay starting at 8.00am on Sunday 24 November.

For the 24-hour relay, the City has put together a 10-person team – the Stirling Aquatic Masters – stacked with youth and talent, including six pool lifeguards.

The City’s nine-hour relay team – the Aqua Jets – has fewer swimmers but more heavy-hitters, with the Mayor and CEO leading a decidedly more mature line-up.

Mayor Irwin has spent recent weeks swimming laps at Stirling Leisure – Inglewood in his spare time to prepare for this weekend.

Although he has a background in surf lifesaving, his best swimming days are behind him, and he knows he has thrown himself in at the deep end by signing up for the Swim for Life.

“I’m certainly not in the best shape of my life and I’m expecting the last few legs of the relay to test me, but this is about raising money, not breaking records,” Mayor Irwin said.

“It’s good to dive head-first into a challenge every now and then, and this is such a worthy cause to support.

“Men should feel comfortable talking about their mental health and sharing how they’re feeling because it doesn’t just benefit them – it benefits the men around them as well.

“I like what the team at Mens Talk are doing and I’m happy to give the Swim for Life a crack to support them.

“To make the challenge even more special, it's an opportunity for me and Stev to team up with some of our fantastic staff and show that team spirit.”

The City is hosting a Community Fun Day on Sunday to support the Swim for Life and celebrate the redevelopment of Stirling Leisure – Inglewood, which reopened in September.

Entry to the Community Fun Day is by gold-coin donation, with proceeds going to Men’s Talk.

The family-friendly event will run from 10.00am to 3.00pm, featuring bouncy castles, pool inflatables, music, pop-up wellbeing sessions, water polo, giveaways and more.

To support the City’s Swim for Life teams and Mens Talk, visit the Stirling Aquatic Masters or Aqua Jets donation pages.