A record team of 142 students, 14 parents and seven staff from The Armidale School will be taking a positive message about mental health to the water on Sunday, March 26 when they take part in the iconic 2km Coffs Coast Ocean Swim.
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After a three-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic and road closures caused by flood damage, TAS is expected to again make up more than a third of the competitors in what has become a hallmark challenge event on the school's calendar.
While simply plunging themselves into the event is good for the body and the soul, the blue caps they will be wearing are part of a broader campaign to encourage conversations about mental health.
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"This year the SRC and prefects have chosen to support the Blue Tree Project, a charity which helps change the way society talks about mental health," Senior Prefect Sofia Paris said.
"The swim is happening at the end of Blue Week at TAS and it will be a great way to not only raise the profile of the cause by wearing blue caps but also do something active, which contributes to positive mental health."
TAS first entered the event in 2003, when two TAS boys and a teacher took part. This year it is again expected to be the largest team by far and may well make up more than a third of all entries.
Apart from the personal challenge, the swim is a requisite component of the school's surf lifesaving program, in which year 11 students can achieve their Surf Bronze Medallions in conjunction with Sawtell Surf Life Saving Club which hosts the event.
It is also a key event of the Triple Crown, a TAS award for those who complete designated physical challenges during their time at the school.
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