Preparations are underway for the annual Tickle Swim in support of the Canadian Mental Health Association.
The Tickle Swim for Mental Health celebrates physical endurance while supporting what’s being called life-saving mental health education and advocacy across the province.
Chandra Kavanaugh of the CMHA-NL told VOCM Open Line with Paddy Daly they took over from Sheilagh O’Leary who founded the annual event.
She says the link between being outdoors and in nature and good mental health has been proven through extensive research.
She says there’s even research that shows that what we see in nature also contributed to good mental health. She says in nature the visual landscape is uneven, as opposed to in straight lines which are what we are accustomed to in urban landscapes. “It’s not really what our eyes and brain are built for.”
This year’s 5 km open ocean swim takes place on Saturday, August 24 starting at 7 a.m. at the beach near the ferry terminal in Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s.