A Tauranga doctor is braving an epic 40km cold water swim by torchlight to join the fight against the Bay's methamphetamine epidemic.
Bronwyn Copeland, a doctor at Tauranga hospital who is passionate about preventing mental illness, is using the swim across Lake Taupō to support a local campaign, P Not Once, to raise awareness about the devastating effects of methamphetamine in the Bay.
That drug is a scourge on our community
Mother-of-two Copeland wants to do what she can to help, particularly to help influence teenagers who are being offered the drug.
"That drug is a scourge on our community. The P Not Once campaign targets teenagers and is aiming for a generational shift through a confronting Facebook campaign."
Tauranga doctor Bronwyn Copeland will swim Lake Taupō to raise funds for P not One. Photo / Supplied
Copeland will attempt the 40.2km crossing from Tūrangi to Taupō on February 24. It will take anywhere from 12 to 14 hours and she will start the race in the dark at 3am.
"I will have glow torches to guide me. I need to try and beat the wind."
Temperature will also be a challenge.
"I'm not allowed a wetsuit and the lake will be around 19 degrees."
"According to others, you can enter a very 'dark place' between the 20-30km mark. Hopefully the amount of training I've done will help me cope with physical exhaustion."
It was really rough and my support crew vomited the entire 7.5 hours
Bay philanthropist and owner of Brookfield New World Lavina Good, who was behind the creation of the charity with fellow Tauranga mother Jessica Wright, said the mental challenge of the swim was similar to the challenge teenagers have of saying no when offered P, as well as the mental challenges in beating addiction to the drug.
Jessica Wright, left, and Lavina Good are teaming together to battle the Bay's meth epidemic. Photo / Andrew Warner
"Bronwyn's brave attempt at Lake Taupō will help raise awareness and much-needed funds for our campaign. She is a very brave lady, all to help our campaign to prevent teenagers from ever trying this deadly drug."
With less than a month before the race, she has been clocking up to 50km a week for over six months.
Copeland is no stranger to big swims. In April last year she finished first in the 22km Apolima Strait near Samoa. But this is nearly twice that distance.
"I learnt a lot from that race last year.
"It was really rough and my support crew vomited the entire 7.5 hours. I remember saying I would never do anything like that again."
Tauranga doctor Bronwyn Copeland. Photo/ Supplied
On the weekend of February 23 she will be supported by New Zealand swimming legend Phil Rush.
He holds the record for the double and triple crossing of the English Channel. He has also completed a double crossing of the Cook Strait and Lake Taupō. He will be accompanying her in an IRB with her swimming buddy, Neil McClean.
She hopes to use this event as a stepping stone to cross the Cook strait next year, in which she will also raise funds for the fight against P.
• Any support for this event and the P Not Once campaign will be welcomed. Donate by direct debit to 031720002114600. All funds will go towards the charity.
P Not Once The idea for P Not Once was created by two local women, Lavina Good and Jessica Wright, and aims to create more awareness about the devastating effects of methamphetamine in the community.
The Youth Wright Charitable Trust has worked with partners to develop a series of short educational videos for social media and a 30-minute classroom documentary designed to demonstrate the risks and consequences of using methamphetamine.
The goal is to create a generational shift by giving 13 to 25-year-olds the tools and knowledge to say no when they are offered P. The generational shift is a well-proven concept for changing attitudes seen in the successful campaigns of wearing seatbelts and not smoking. By targeting the message onto the younger generation over time, the attitude has completely changed.
If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call 111.
If you need to talk to someone, the following free helplines operate 24/7:
DEPRESSION HELPLINE: 0800 111 757 LIFELINE: 0800 543 354 NEED TO TALK? Call or text 1737 SAMARITANS: 0800 726 666 YOUTHLINE: 0800 376 633 or text 234
There are lots of places to get support. For others, click here.
