1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,480 S1: Now, look, this Friday, Quinn Dara is attempting something never 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:07,240 S1: before achieved in Australia. Quinn is trying a record breaking, 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:12,440 S1: 24 hour continuous ocean swim at his home beach of Bondi. 4 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:16,120 S1: No rest, no breaks, just 24 relentless hours in the 5 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:20,079 S1: open ocean. Yes, he's mad. He'll swim laps pinballing between 6 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:22,720 S1: North and South Bondi, pushing his body and mind to 7 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:25,880 S1: their absolute limits. But what makes this challenge even more 8 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:29,240 S1: extraordinary is that less than a year ago, Quinn underwent 9 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:33,800 S1: a life saving liver transplant due to an incurable autoimmune disease. 10 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:37,840 S1: Following the surgery, his body initially rejected the donor organ. 11 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:40,680 S1: He fought through complications, and now, instead of slowing down, 12 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:43,760 S1: he's chosen to channel that second chance at life into 13 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:47,120 S1: something far bigger than himself. Quinn is completing this swim 14 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:50,760 S1: to raise awareness for organ donation and transplant recovery, and 15 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:52,440 S1: I'm pleased to say I've known him for a little while. 16 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:55,040 S1: While the Bondi lifeguard, he's here in the studio. Quinn, 17 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:55,680 S1: good morning to you. 18 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:56,920 S2: Good morning Mark. Good to see you. 19 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:58,480 S1: Nice to see you, mate. It's good to see you. 20 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,290 S1: Keeping yourself in good shape. You're still lifeguarding down at Bondi. 21 00:01:01,610 --> 00:01:04,649 S2: Lifeguarding down at Bondi. And and that swim sounded a 22 00:01:04,650 --> 00:01:06,250 S2: lot easier in my mind. And then you say it 23 00:01:06,250 --> 00:01:08,690 S2: out loud and and I asked myself, what am I doing? 24 00:01:09,170 --> 00:01:12,130 S1: Well, firstly, first and foremost, before we get to the swim, 25 00:01:12,130 --> 00:01:14,410 S1: how are you going? You've been through a fair bit 26 00:01:14,410 --> 00:01:16,250 S1: with your own health. How are you holding up? 27 00:01:16,290 --> 00:01:19,450 S2: Yeah, look, I'm going really good. Now, initially, as you said, 28 00:01:19,450 --> 00:01:23,090 S2: there was a few complications, which is, um, normal for 29 00:01:23,370 --> 00:01:26,650 S2: some of these big transplants. And, uh, you know, I 30 00:01:26,650 --> 00:01:28,970 S2: suppose all the medication that I'm on and I've got 31 00:01:29,010 --> 00:01:31,929 S2: like those big blister packs that, you know, Monday, Tuesday to, 32 00:01:32,130 --> 00:01:34,890 S2: to Sunday. And, uh, look, the only one of the 33 00:01:34,890 --> 00:01:37,450 S2: medications just draws magnesium out of your body and it 34 00:01:37,450 --> 00:01:39,810 S2: makes me cramp sometimes when I'm swimming, but I've sort 35 00:01:39,850 --> 00:01:41,690 S2: of gotten on top of that and, um, you know, 36 00:01:41,730 --> 00:01:45,050 S2: and I'm feeling, feeling good. Grateful that I'm back in shape. 37 00:01:45,330 --> 00:01:48,210 S1: Mate. It's amazing that, um, you know, a lot of 38 00:01:48,210 --> 00:01:50,610 S1: people go through transplants and you hear about some of 39 00:01:50,610 --> 00:01:53,530 S1: the stories and the, the body wanting to reject the 40 00:01:53,570 --> 00:01:56,090 S1: transplant and the like, which is why you're doing this swim. 41 00:01:56,090 --> 00:01:59,780 S1: You want to raise awareness for that and also organ donation. 42 00:01:59,780 --> 00:02:01,740 S1: I'm a big supporter of Jersey day, which is all 43 00:02:01,740 --> 00:02:04,300 S1: about organ donation as well. Talk to me about the 44 00:02:04,300 --> 00:02:07,100 S1: importance of getting that message out there to the wider community. 45 00:02:07,140 --> 00:02:09,139 S2: Yeah. Well, I think it's just for the fact that 46 00:02:09,139 --> 00:02:11,020 S2: even when I was on the transplant list, I didn't 47 00:02:11,020 --> 00:02:13,340 S2: know that I wasn't registered as a donor. I said 48 00:02:13,340 --> 00:02:15,100 S2: to my wife, if I get hit by a car. 49 00:02:15,139 --> 00:02:16,980 S2: Cruel twist of fate. I said, my heart and lungs 50 00:02:16,980 --> 00:02:19,260 S2: are good. So she said, don't worry, babe, I'll be 51 00:02:19,300 --> 00:02:23,019 S2: donating everything. And we see now there's like a big 52 00:02:23,020 --> 00:02:26,619 S2: divide between the people that are waiting on the on 53 00:02:26,660 --> 00:02:29,859 S2: the donor registry or the donor list. Sorry for as 54 00:02:29,860 --> 00:02:32,900 S2: a recipient. And then the amount of people on the 55 00:02:32,900 --> 00:02:36,900 S2: registry is, is, is a lot, a lot smaller than that. 56 00:02:36,900 --> 00:02:40,859 S2: So as population grows and, you know, people might just 57 00:02:40,860 --> 00:02:43,179 S2: not understand that it's not on your license anymore. And 58 00:02:43,180 --> 00:02:47,060 S2: that's why, you know, campaigns to, to raise awareness. And 59 00:02:47,060 --> 00:02:49,260 S2: it's more just about, as you know, with Jersey day, 60 00:02:49,300 --> 00:02:51,780 S2: they're a great family that that I know as well. 61 00:02:51,980 --> 00:02:54,900 S2: It's not about forcing people or making people feel guilty. 62 00:02:54,940 --> 00:02:58,669 S2: It's a very personal choice. And it's just maybe showing that, 63 00:02:58,950 --> 00:03:02,150 S2: that those donations mean that, you know, families like mine 64 00:03:02,190 --> 00:03:02,830 S2: get a father. 65 00:03:02,870 --> 00:03:05,630 S1: You know, the great start. Quinn, just off the back 66 00:03:05,630 --> 00:03:08,430 S1: of our us having a conversation today, if someone's driving 67 00:03:08,430 --> 00:03:10,310 S1: around doing their job, there might be a courier or 68 00:03:10,350 --> 00:03:12,590 S1: a post or whatever, or they might be listening at home. 69 00:03:12,910 --> 00:03:15,670 S1: If you're sitting around having dinner tonight, just have the conversation. Just, 70 00:03:15,710 --> 00:03:17,630 S1: you know, say to the kids, look, I want to 71 00:03:17,669 --> 00:03:20,150 S1: donate everything or, you know, I don't feel comfortable donating this. 72 00:03:20,150 --> 00:03:23,950 S1: Just have that conversation and then at least, you know, because, 73 00:03:23,990 --> 00:03:25,430 S1: you know, you never know what the next day is 74 00:03:25,430 --> 00:03:27,429 S1: going to hold, you know, something could happen. You could 75 00:03:27,430 --> 00:03:29,750 S1: lose your life. And all of a sudden your family's 76 00:03:29,750 --> 00:03:33,150 S1: left with that agonizing decision while you're also grieving the 77 00:03:33,150 --> 00:03:35,270 S1: loss of a loved one. So please, folks, have that 78 00:03:35,270 --> 00:03:37,350 S1: conversation out of interest. How long did you have to 79 00:03:37,350 --> 00:03:38,590 S1: wait for your transplant? 80 00:03:38,630 --> 00:03:41,030 S2: I was really fortunate. Just my blood type because they 81 00:03:41,070 --> 00:03:43,710 S2: need to match. It's not about male or female, it's 82 00:03:43,710 --> 00:03:46,510 S2: about blood type and size. So they need a liver. 83 00:03:46,510 --> 00:03:49,230 S2: That was my size and my blood type. So I 84 00:03:49,230 --> 00:03:51,590 S2: was fortunate that I was b positive, I think, and 85 00:03:51,590 --> 00:03:54,200 S2: it was a seven week wait. But That the the 86 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:56,880 S2: people on the list, there's like a long list of 87 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,160 S2: people that are on there for months and months, if 88 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,240 S2: not years, especially with kidneys as well. They've got to 89 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,040 S2: do dialysis forever. And you see that in the transplant ward. 90 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:06,920 S2: And that's, that's one of the things that people might 91 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:08,640 S2: not know that you just go to donate life and 92 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:11,560 S2: it's less than 60s to, to put that down. But again, 93 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:13,720 S2: and you don't have to donate everything, you just have 94 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:15,720 S2: a conversation with your family and just see if that's 95 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:17,320 S2: something you might, might want to do. 96 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:20,479 S1: Right. So talk to me about the 24 hour continuous swim. 97 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:21,080 S2: Oh yeah. 98 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:22,760 S1: When I first heard about this, and I'll be honest 99 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:25,320 S1: with you, when the team told me, I thought, okay, 100 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:27,800 S1: down in the icebergs or something, but no, you're out 101 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:28,720 S1: in the ocean. 102 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:31,280 S2: Yeah, I'm out in the ocean. And I guess the 103 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:33,480 S2: it was on my mind for a little while, and 104 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:36,080 S2: I think I did the channel with my best mate. 105 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:38,560 S2: We went over there in the height of Covid and 106 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:40,080 S2: we were able to get an exemption because we were 107 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:44,159 S2: raising money for running for premature babies and getting ventilators 108 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:48,680 S2: and a couple of humidicrib for Alice Springs Hospital. And, um, 109 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:50,760 S2: you know, I was kind of thinking when I got 110 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:53,730 S2: back from the swim, up the channel. One of my 111 00:04:53,730 --> 00:04:56,450 S2: mates asked me and he wasn't being. He wasn't diminishing 112 00:04:56,450 --> 00:04:57,730 S2: the swim at all, but he said, do you think 113 00:04:57,770 --> 00:04:59,490 S2: you could have swum back? And I was like, I 114 00:04:59,490 --> 00:05:01,130 S2: was just thought about it for a while and I thought, 115 00:05:01,130 --> 00:05:04,529 S2: that's about 24 hours swimming. Logistically, cost wise, going back 116 00:05:04,529 --> 00:05:06,730 S2: over to England is is a big mission. I thought 117 00:05:06,730 --> 00:05:09,330 S2: something locally, something that community can sort of have a 118 00:05:09,330 --> 00:05:12,090 S2: look at and, and then shine a spotlight on marathon 119 00:05:12,089 --> 00:05:15,370 S2: swimming and then hopefully just inspire some people that, you know, 120 00:05:15,410 --> 00:05:17,130 S2: might be going through a tough time that, you know, 121 00:05:17,170 --> 00:05:19,409 S2: there's a little bit more to life and don't let 122 00:05:19,690 --> 00:05:21,650 S2: that define you. Just let that be a chapter in 123 00:05:21,650 --> 00:05:22,010 S2: your life. 124 00:05:22,010 --> 00:05:23,450 S1: Have you got a date set yet on when this 125 00:05:23,450 --> 00:05:24,130 S1: is going to happen? 126 00:05:24,130 --> 00:05:27,010 S2: Yeah. Look, I the the date was meant to be 127 00:05:27,010 --> 00:05:30,729 S2: the 14th of March and weather weather window was was 128 00:05:30,730 --> 00:05:33,570 S2: not great for that. Then this Friday was was a 129 00:05:33,570 --> 00:05:36,409 S2: green light five days ago. But then this rains come in. 130 00:05:36,890 --> 00:05:39,529 S2: The thing that I need to think about safety as well. 131 00:05:39,529 --> 00:05:40,930 S2: So even though I'll be in the bay, there'll be 132 00:05:40,930 --> 00:05:42,890 S2: a buoy at North Bondi boat ramp and a buoy 133 00:05:42,890 --> 00:05:45,450 S2: off the icebergs. It's all sand bottom, only about four 134 00:05:45,450 --> 00:05:48,330 S2: meters deep. And. But then I've got to think about 135 00:05:48,330 --> 00:05:52,050 S2: heavy rain, flushing, bull sharks, things like that. I'll have 136 00:05:52,490 --> 00:05:55,849 S2: shark mitigation like shark eyes stickers on the bottom of 137 00:05:55,850 --> 00:05:58,290 S2: the board, and then a shark shield, which emits a 138 00:05:58,290 --> 00:06:02,409 S2: pulse that I know. Marathon swimmers, Iodine Summers and and 139 00:06:02,410 --> 00:06:06,290 S2: Tim Garrett have seen those work firsthand. So I'm comfortable 140 00:06:06,290 --> 00:06:08,690 S2: with that with that. But I'm also I also just 141 00:06:08,690 --> 00:06:11,450 S2: need to mitigate the risk a little bit with not 142 00:06:11,450 --> 00:06:14,529 S2: going in when visibility is low and rain's been pouring. 143 00:06:14,570 --> 00:06:16,130 S1: Yeah. Alright, well, can you let us know when you're 144 00:06:16,130 --> 00:06:18,489 S1: going to do it so we can let our listeners know? Yes, 145 00:06:18,529 --> 00:06:21,609 S1: we'll keep in touch anyway, but um, it's not only 146 00:06:21,610 --> 00:06:23,810 S1: a physical challenge, it's a mental challenge as well. I'm 147 00:06:23,810 --> 00:06:26,170 S1: just thinking while you were talking about the sharks, how 148 00:06:26,210 --> 00:06:29,890 S1: unnerving it would be in pitch black darkness, not knowing 149 00:06:29,930 --> 00:06:33,089 S1: what's down underneath you, that'd be pretty unsettling and unnerving. 150 00:06:33,130 --> 00:06:36,050 S2: Yeah, I think it's even more of a mental thing 151 00:06:36,050 --> 00:06:38,370 S2: than a physical thing. Like, you know, sort of swim 152 00:06:38,370 --> 00:06:40,970 S2: aerobically for a long time is something I think I 153 00:06:40,970 --> 00:06:43,490 S2: can do. And then it's just managing your thoughts and that, 154 00:06:43,490 --> 00:06:46,529 S2: which is just sort of keeping your, your mind narrow, 155 00:06:46,570 --> 00:06:48,940 S2: not sort of thinking about too many things, just, you know, 156 00:06:48,980 --> 00:06:52,099 S2: songs or counting. And, you know, even my mate Luke Stewart, 157 00:06:52,140 --> 00:06:54,420 S2: who went. Um, you know. Yes. A couple of days ago. 158 00:06:54,460 --> 00:06:56,580 S2: Eight hours in Gordon's Bay, just swimming back and forth. 159 00:06:56,620 --> 00:06:59,020 S2: You know, and he didn't he didn't find that too, 160 00:06:59,060 --> 00:07:01,380 S2: too boring. So I sort of think that 800 meter 161 00:07:01,380 --> 00:07:04,020 S2: loops at Bondi should be okay as well. You know, 162 00:07:04,100 --> 00:07:05,380 S2: it is all mental though. 163 00:07:05,420 --> 00:07:07,660 S1: So how can people support you? How can people jump 164 00:07:07,660 --> 00:07:08,180 S1: on board? 165 00:07:08,220 --> 00:07:11,540 S2: Yeah. So if you go to either, um, you know, 166 00:07:11,580 --> 00:07:14,940 S2: my Instagram or you can go into Ocean Heroes website. 167 00:07:14,940 --> 00:07:17,140 S2: So we'll be raising money for Ocean Heroes as well 168 00:07:17,140 --> 00:07:20,500 S2: as awareness for organ donation. And Ocean Heroes is an 169 00:07:20,540 --> 00:07:23,900 S2: amazing charity that teaches kids with autism to serve. So 170 00:07:23,900 --> 00:07:25,780 S2: it gives them that first experience. And some of the 171 00:07:25,780 --> 00:07:29,540 S2: parents drive from like Wagga and for our five hour drives, 172 00:07:29,540 --> 00:07:31,460 S2: just to have 40 minutes in there. And they might 173 00:07:31,460 --> 00:07:34,100 S2: not have had a surfing background, but the kids, the 174 00:07:34,100 --> 00:07:37,540 S2: joy that they have is, is absolutely amazing. You get 175 00:07:37,540 --> 00:07:39,180 S2: as much out of it as the kids do. 176 00:07:39,220 --> 00:07:42,780 S1: Fantastic. Well, yeah. Jump on the website folks. Ocean heroes 177 00:07:42,780 --> 00:07:46,580 S1: and look for Quino's 24 hour swim across Bondi. He's 178 00:07:46,580 --> 00:07:49,070 S1: a he's a ripper of a bloke. Quinn. And what 179 00:07:49,070 --> 00:07:51,670 S1: he's doing is extraordinary, given what he's been through. Himself. 180 00:07:51,670 --> 00:07:54,190 S1: Before you go, mate. Wrap to all the Bondi lifeguards. 181 00:07:54,190 --> 00:07:56,190 S1: I know you weren't there on the day, but what 182 00:07:56,190 --> 00:07:59,750 S1: happened on December 14th is something we will never, ever forget. Um, 183 00:07:59,790 --> 00:08:02,110 S1: the way in which your colleagues sprung into action to 184 00:08:02,150 --> 00:08:05,150 S1: help the victims of what happened on that day was extraordinary, mate. 185 00:08:05,150 --> 00:08:06,830 S1: So shout out to all your colleagues, eh? 186 00:08:06,870 --> 00:08:11,030 S2: Yeah, absolutely. You know, led by Michael Jenkins and Mouse and, 187 00:08:11,030 --> 00:08:13,590 S2: and Daniel McLaughlin, our team leader. And then the boys 188 00:08:13,590 --> 00:08:15,510 S2: that went in after it, Jackson Doyle. And you saw 189 00:08:15,510 --> 00:08:18,430 S2: that photo running around from Tamarama with the Defib. It 190 00:08:18,430 --> 00:08:21,670 S2: was something we've never prepped for. We've never trained for 191 00:08:21,870 --> 00:08:25,350 S2: definitely mass casualty. We're thinking shark attacks and things like that. 192 00:08:25,350 --> 00:08:28,870 S2: But that was a war zone. That was, um, things that, 193 00:08:28,910 --> 00:08:30,870 S2: you know, there was, it was just sort of plugging 194 00:08:30,870 --> 00:08:33,230 S2: bullet holes and doing their best. And they saved so 195 00:08:33,230 --> 00:08:35,790 S2: many lives just with their actions and that, you know, 196 00:08:35,830 --> 00:08:39,230 S2: we can't forget that the guns were still going when 197 00:08:39,230 --> 00:08:41,429 S2: those first guys ran in there, you know, so they 198 00:08:41,429 --> 00:08:44,830 S2: ran towards ran towards the fire. And I couldn't be 199 00:08:44,830 --> 00:08:47,240 S2: more proud of them as a group. And even even 200 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:49,560 S2: the ones that weren't there. The way they've rallied behind. 201 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:52,640 S2: So that team, that lifeguard team is just like, you know, very, 202 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:54,559 S2: very high level elite guys. 203 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:57,160 S1: Yeah. Well said mate, well said. Good luck to you. Quinn. 204 00:08:57,200 --> 00:08:59,240 S1: You're a good man, mate. Yeah. And what you're doing 205 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:01,520 S1: is extraordinary. I don't know whether I could do it. 206 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:03,920 S1: In fact, I know I couldn't do it. So, mate, 207 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:05,920 S1: anything I can do to support you, we will. And 208 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:07,960 S1: we'll let our listeners know when that dates locked in. 209 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:10,600 S1: And good on you for putting safety first. But, um, 210 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:13,400 S1: folks jump onto his website or his Instagram and check 211 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:16,640 S1: it out. Ocean heroes is the website. Have a look at. Otherwise, 212 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:19,079 S1: just have a look on Instagram for Quinn Dara and 213 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:21,200 S1: you'll be able to see all of the information for 214 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:23,959 S1: his big 24 hour swim, which is coming up. Uh, 215 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:26,360 S1: we just need those bull sharks to go away and 216 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:28,560 S1: leave him alone off the back of all this rain. 217 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,440 S1: So yeah, please support him. Wonderful to catch up and 218 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:33,320 S1: shout out to again to all the, all the colleagues 219 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:34,040 S1: down there at Bondi. 220 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:35,680 S2: Thanks, Gwen to Mark. Thanks very much. 221 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:37,200 S1: Good on you, mate. There he is. Quinn. Dara, one 222 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,920 S1: of the Bondi lifeguards. Fella. Uh, go to Ocean Heroes, 223 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:44,400 S1: that website and look for those 24 hour swim across Bondi.