On 24th August, Lucio Cicolecchia, Dave Rayment and Duncan Gibson of the Aquaphobes crew are planning to swim across the Messina Strait – the highly treacherous stretch of sea which separates Sicily and Calabria. Lucio explains why:
We have decided to take this opportunity to raise money for Papyrus, a charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicides and to the support of vulnerable young adults and loved ones affected by suicide. Papyrus runs a national helpline – HOPELineUK, trains professionals to recognise the warning signs and campaigns to influence national policies for the protection of young people at risk.
Why are we doing this? Because on 16th June I experienced at first hand the devastating impact that a young suicide has on family and friends, when my wonderful nephew, aged only 19, took his own life – quite out of the blue. Why would such an easy-going, sport-loving boy who was planning his summer holidays, with no outward sign of vulnerability or depression, feel driven to take such a desperate step? We’ll never know. But if I can support a charity that seeks to eradicate the taboos around suicide, talk openly about it, help vulnerable young people and teach others how to recognise signs of trouble, I will be proud to do so.
I hope you will be able to offer a small sponsorship or at least pass the details of the charity to as many people as possible – after all, suicide is the leading cause of death among young adults in the UK today, which is a shocking statistic.
Good luck to Lucio, Dave and Duncan for a safe swim and successful fundraising!
