Jerry Sunarho

Reganing my confidence

It has been two months since I started training with the Can Too crew. It has been fantastic to say the least. We train twice a week, one at the pool and another at ocean. In the first few weeks, we learned how to enter and exit the ocean properly. At the end of Nov, we did our first continuous 1km+ ocean swim. It was my first proper ocean swim after my last one at Malabar in Feb 2023 where it left me a bit traumatised. Sure enough, not long after we swam out and the waves were getting bigger, I felt fear and anxiety. It brought memories of how I felt in Malabar. I started to panic and couldn’t control my breathing and technique well. I stopped swimming and raised my hand. Two people swam to me straight away, a coach and a surf life saver. The coach asked me if I’m OK, and I replied that I’m a bit dizzy and nervous. He told me to try regulating my breathing. Honestly, if they have offered me taking me back to shore, I probably accept it. After I calmed down, I resumed swimming but asked them to swim next to me, so I feel safe. They did! We swam together for 1km. I stopped two more times. But every time I stopped; the coach kept saying to me that I was doing well. In the end, I managed to finish the swim. Yeah! The following weeks, we continued to swim further and further. But the coach kept giving me positive feedback. I could feel my confidence increases the more I swim. On the last Sunday in December, I swam for 2.7km and I feel I have now regained my confidence to the level where it was before my Malabar swim. Thanks to the Can Too team.

Support me by supporting the Can Too Foundation

I have just signed up into the Can Too Foundation’s 2025 Summer Swim Program. Some of you may know that occasionally I swim in the ocean and have participated in the ocean swim events in the past. However, my last ocean swim event in February 2023 left traumatised. I stopped and pulled out in the middle of the swim due to fear of being overwhelmed by the rough ocean condition. I was 1km out in the ocean and the waves were getting bigger, bigger than I had ever encountered previously. I felt I wasn’t moving and had doubts that I could swim to the finish line. I raised my hand to be rescued. Since then, I haven’t been back to the ocean to do a proper swim.

I want to overcome my fear and trauma, and I want to do it the proper way. This 14-week long swim program should build up my skills and confidence swimming in the ocean. Each session is supervised by experienced instructor and water safety team from the local surf club. At the end of program, we are expected to complete a 2.8km swim from Palm Beach to Whale Beach on 26 January 2025. It will be a challenge for me as it would be my longest ocean swim.

This program also allows to train for a good cause. We are expected to raise fund for the always important cancer research, driving innovation and progress in the fight against cancer. Cancer affects all of us, young and old, men and women, and people from every background. Therefore, I ask you to support my effort by making a tax deductable donation to the Can Too Foundation. Thank you.