For more than 18 years, Ash Semmens served his country as a Navy clearance diver, one of the most dangerous jobs in Australia’s military.
He left the role in 2022 with depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but those experiences have pushed him to help others.
This month, Ash, 40, will be swimming the English Channel – on his back – to raise funds for the Navy Clearance Diver Trust.
Ash said he hoped to be able to inspire other ex-military personnel dealing with mental health issues.
“Being a navy diver was a job that took me all around the world, including Afghanistan,” he said.
“My PTSD was the outcome from several different experiences I had in the military, and now I want to be able to give back to the community I left, the Navy clearance diver community.”
The Navy Clearance Diver Trust is an organisation that supports divers who might otherwise “fall between the cracks”.
“It’s for members who are unable to be supported by the military, or by the Department of Veterans Affairs,” Ash said.
Swimming the Channel for a Cause
“Everyone deals with trauma in their life, but one of the big things that happens when you leave the military is you leave that support network – I basically left work on a Monday and never went back.
“I lost my identity and my support network. To this day, I love routine and structure, and when that is taken away, particularly suddenly, it’s something that I have struggled with, and I know a lot of ex-military do struggle with.”
Ash will be making the crossing sometime from 3 to 11 June, depending on weather conditions, and he will be flat on his back the whole time, using just his legs to kick his way across the Channel.
The water temperature is expected to be around 12 degrees, and he’s anticipating the swim will take between 15 to 18 hours.
Ash added he hoped to avoid meeting any sea creatures.
“A colleague of mine was actually very badly injured in a shark attack, so that is actually a big fear of mine, and one of my big mental challenges every time I get in the water,” he said.
So far, Ash has raised close to $100,000 and hopes to raise even more.
“It’s been very humbling,” he said. “I honestly thought it would just be me, and I’d raise five or 10 thousand dollars.
“Mental health problems are not a life sentence. Just because you have a diagnosis, doesn’t mean your life is at an end, you can work through it and overcome it.
“And it’s about reducing that stigma. I’ve been in a dark place, so I understand what people are going through.”
Send your support to Ash here.
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