Which is pretty amazing, as he had just stepped out for a lazy 20km stroll to help raise awareness for World Suicide Prevention Day and funding for Lifeline.
A walk he shared with mates Luke Barlow and Dave Ferris, with the trio better known as the Murray Mudflaps for their predilection for early morning swims — often more than 2km — in the Murray all-year-round.
James has known his fair share of mental health challenges in recent years and had turned to the river as part of his healing process, originally just sitting in the water at Moama beach before eventually joining Luke and Dave, who had been doing multiple swims a week for years.
“We walked this year in memory of Sienna Masako Fiore, who was the daughter of another friend we swim with a fair bit,” James said.
“Sienna took her life three years ago.”
But if James was walking for Sienna, the threat of suicide has hit much closer to home — his brother, who turns 45 this month, attempted to take his own life just three weeks ago.
It was a shock, but James said his brother was now getting help and doing much better.
“Despite everything that has been going on around me, I can’t think when I was ever going better, I’m just really going well,” James said.
“Originally we set out to walk 18km (people were asked to do 9km to represent the average nine Australians a day who take their own lives, but James wanted to do twice as much) but in the end we racked up 20km.
“Our walking time was 4.17 hours, but we were out for 5.30am with a couple of stops for food — making it to Café Worx for a breakfast bacon and egg roll and coffee, and then Moama Bakery on the way home for lunch.
“I think the only downside was Luke, who insisted on doing the walk in his work boots, getting a blister. But my training really paid off and so did shedding 13kg as part of that.
“This is the third year I have walked, and in the previous two, I hit the wall around 12km, but this year I was in the lead when we finished.”
A finish that included going up and over Moama Mountain, which James saw as a significant moment.
He said late last year and earlier this year his mood had been very low, and he was sending apologies to the Mudflaps and not swimming.
“Luke would encourage me to at least do a 30-minute walk up and down the mountain and home again — sometimes I managed it, but more often I couldn’t get off the couch,” James said.
“From little things big things can grow.”
• For 24/7 support, phone Lifeline on 131 114, Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636, Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467. If life is in danger, phone 000.
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