ON Aug 30, while Malaysians are likely to be preparing for National Day celebrations, 20 swimmers will brave a 10km open-sea journey between Pulau Lang Tengah and Pulau Redang in Terengganu – swimming not just with muscle, but with mission.

The swim, dubbed “Courage in the Current”, is a personal and symbolic tribute to Gwee Jo-Ee, a talented and vibrant woman who died by suicide last November.

“Jo-Ee reached out to us in September last year. She wanted to organise a swim to raise awareness about mental health,” said Befrienders Kuala Lumpur executive director Kenny Lim.

He described the initiative as a thoughtful, brave proposal as Gwee wanted to speak openly, especially as someone with lived experience.

“We are happy her friends have carried it forward,” said Lim.

The initiative has now grown into a larger campaign around suicide prevention, with a focus on understanding, training and talking openly and without shame.

Courage in the Current co-director Sugania Vijayan, who was also a close friend of Gwee, said there would be a free public mental health talk on Aug 2 titled “Pushing Past the Pain”.

It is held with hopes of reaching people who are silently struggling, she said.

“We all knew Jo-Ee in some capacity, and want to continue the platform she started.

“It’s important for us to be emotionally prepared,” she told StarMetro at the Befrienders KL office in Petaling jaya, Selangor.

The talk, which will be held at The MET, Mont Kiara in Kuala Lumpur from 2pm to 4.30pm, will include practical skills to spot suicide risk, tools to recognise your feelings, personal stories, and expert clinical insights to understanding on the matter.

As part of the Courage in the Current committee’s commitment to create a genuine impact, Sugania said it would be mandatory for all committee members, crew and swimmers to undergo suicide prevention training with Befrienders prior to the event.

This also included skills in active listening, recognising warning signs and creating safe spaces for conversation.

 Friends of Jo-Ee are fundraising for The Befrienders KL. For details, visit https://legacy.simplygiving.com/courage