Brendan Cullen, a grazier from far western New South Wales, has successfully swum the English Channel, completing the 30-40km crossing from England to France in 17 hours. The 49-year-old, who lives on Kars station 60km south-east of Broken Hill, took up swimming in 2016 to help manage his depression.
Cullen trained in any available water, including dams on his property, a plunge pool, and the Broken Hill YMCA. Recent rainfall filled the Menindee Lakes, allowing him to swim 15km there, though he once had to stop when a fish swam into his mouth. He set the Channel goal three years ago and trained intensively, doing 30-40km per week in the final months.
During the swim, Cullen battled 4.5 knot tides, jellyfish, and fatigue. He described the conditions as rough from the start, and at the 13-14 hour mark, he hit a strong tide in the 'Channel swimmers' graveyard' that pushed him away from France. He relied on his training and took Panadol and ibuprofen every four hours to manage pain.
As night fell, Cullen lost sight of France, which he said helped him focus. The last few kilometres were especially hard, but he refused to give up. Upon reaching the French shore, he broke down in tears, overwhelmed by the effort and the support of his wife Jacinta, daughter Emma, and sister-in-law Julie.
Cullen is a Lifeline ambassador. Scott Hammond, CEO of Lifeline Broken Hill Country to Coast, praised Cullen's mental preparation and his role in inspiring others to seek help for mental health issues.
