By Callum Ludwig
A man with plans to swim (and walk where necessary) the entire length of the Yarra River from Reefton to the Swanston Street bridge is calling on the Upper Yarra community to help him in his quest.
The Star Mail last spoke to Richard Payne in June last year about his plans and a date has now been set, Saturday 15 March.
Mr Payne said he needs community support from Reefton onwards throughout the Yarra.
“To all the landowners, if they could support me with fresh water and food, I will be swimming every 15-20 minutes and stopping to rest for 5 minutes and will be wanting fresh water and some food for energy,” he said.
“I need advice on where to find spots to fuel myself on the Yarra, there are a lot of difficult places for people to get to me, I need some help from people who could operate dirt bikes along the way as perhaps the most reliable way of getting to me with their panniers full of fresh water and food and perhaps a first aid kit,”
“Fresh water is key for this swim, I need to know where and when it will be arriving.”
Mr Payne is doing the swim to raise money for the Alfred Hospital, which has cared for him following his diagnosis with emphysema, a long-term lung condition that causes shortness of breath. He was also previously cared for by the melanoma department at the hospital.
Mr Payne said he has been in training for over 18 months now in preparation.
“I’m now 70 years old and my theme for my 70s is ‘Living in the 70s’, I have emphysema and training with emphysema gets difficult at times,” he said.
“My theme for this adventure is ‘You are not your disease”.
Mr Payne swam the English Channel back in 2010 and has been training for over 15 hours a week including three months of walking back and forth in shallow waters and uneven terrain, three months of weekly yoga classes and six months of weight training, flexibility and agility with his personal trainer.
Mr Payne will also be taking part in the 2025 Moomba Birdman Rally on 9 March, where participants attempt to ‘fly’ as far as they can across the Yarra River for charity as part of the annual Moomba Festival.
Mr Payne can be contacted at wizard@knightowl.com.au for anyone willing to offer assistance.
Anyone interested in donating to Mr Payne’s swim can do so at: gofundme.com/f/the-legendary-yarra-swim
