The Desert Swimmer

The inspirational true story of an Aussie bloke from the outback, crippled with depression, who challenges himself to swim the English Channel as a way of managing his mental health struggles.

Brendan Cullen manages Kars Station, a 10,000-head sheep property 65 kilometres outside Broken Hill, New South Wales. In 2022, despite his nearest beach being more than 600 kilometres away, he swam the English Channel.

Taking up swimming was part of Brendan's recovery from severe depression. The illness had seen him cope in highly unhealthy ways—drinking, overwork, being emotionally absent—for years until he found the strength to walk through the doors of Broken Hill Hospital and ask for help.

Then, in 2015, Brendan watched his brother compete in an open-water swim, and a year later he was doing the same. Despite it being exhausting and challenging, it made him feel vitally alive. In 2018 he happened to see an advertisement encouraging swimmers to take on the English Channel. An idea was sparked.

Through Covid-19 restrictions, he trained for hours before dawn in the murky Menindee Lake system, and in icy local waters, determined to take on one of the world's most extreme ocean swims. And he did, completing the Channel crossing in 17 hours, after strong currents dragged him off course and extended his journey to 64 kilometres—almost double the most direct route.

The Desert Swimmer shows the good that comes from facing challenges head-on.

'Brendan's become a beacon of hope, inspiration and support well beyond Broken Hill.' Sabra Lane

About the Author

Brendan Cullen manages Kars sheep station located 65 km east of Broken Hill. He has lived in the Broken Hill district all his life and shares his love of the land with his wife Jacinta and three adult children.

Brendan suffered severe depression over many years before he took the first steps to seek help. He began sharing his story of battling depression with others, which led him to become an ambassador for Lifeline Regional SA & Far West NSW in 2017. His role with Lifeline then eventuated in Brendan becoming a peer-support mental health champion for rural people through the We've Got Ya Back initiative, a partnership between Lifeline and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Another of Brendan's many passions in life is fitness and health, as he likes to live by 'fit body, fit mind'. This mindset led to Brendan swimming the English Channel in 2022, covering a total distance of 64 km in 17 hours. Brendan repeated this the following year, swimming the channel this time with a team of like-minded individuals. In 2024 Brendan completed his first ultramarathon (100 km), held on Kars Station. In 2025 he completed the Catalina Channel Swim off the coast of California.

Brendan had the honour of representing Rebel for their 'Sport Is Calling' campaign in 2024. He is grateful for the opportunities that have been bestowed upon him as he continues to support the community through his roles in peer mental health and wellbeing initiatives.

Paul Mitchell is a Melbourne-based writer. His works include the novel We. Are. Family., and a collection of non-fiction, Matters of Life and Faith. His fiction, poems and essays have appeared in The Age, The Australian, The Big Issue, Eureka Street, The Guardian, Heat, Island, Meanjin, Overland and Westerly. He also writes for stage and screen, including his most recent play, You're the Man, and Actions to Live By, a co-written documentary on the Brisbane Lions' dynasty (2001–2003) for the AFL's On Demand platform.