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Two brokers are set to make a splash for a good cause as they take part in a fundraising swim across shark-infested waters in Western Australia.
Kieran Jefferies, senior mortgage broker at Brisbane-based brokerage Olleh Lending, and Joshua De Buelle, broker principal at Perth-based brokerage Finext, are set to swap their suits for swimsuits as they tackle the 19.7-kilometre Rottnest Channel Swim – an open water swimming challenge from Cottesloe Beach to Rottnest Island in Western Australia.
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While the two AFG brokers are competing together as one team (Team AFG) for the race on 24 February, the duo have said that they will be going head-to-head in raising funds for charity and raising funds from brokers in their respective sides of the country.
Mr Jefferies is enlisting support from Queensland, NSW and Victoria, while Mr De Buelle is fundraising from brokers in Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory.
The brokers said that whichever coast raises the most will be declared the victor.
The funds raised will support the Zero2Hero Foundation, which focuses on mental health education and suicide prevention among young people in the community. The charity is dedicated to educating, engaging, and empowering young heroes to become mental health leaders and help prevent suicide in Western Australia.
Speaking to The Adviser about the swim, Finext broker Mr De Buelle said that he had previously completed a solo crossing in 2022 (pictured above), and – after discussing the adventure with Mr Jefferies at the AFG Academy in Sydney, who was also a keen swimmer – encouraged him to get involved in the 2024 Rottnest Swim.
He said: “We wanted an adventure that we could all get involved with and also, raise money for a great cause.
“Rottnest Channel Swim is a 19.7km swim offshore with thousands of people, boats, and support paddlers that truly is one of the best days of the year on the water in WA. It is one of the longest open-water races in the world and after a little convincing, Kieran said he would do it … Well, maybe I pushed him a little!”
Mr Jefferies added: “I did a lot of swimming in my younger days … Josh had done it as solo and as part of a team in previous years and that really got me interested.
“I said I would be keen to do it as a team with him in the future – not thinking it would really come about so quickly! And here we are!”
The two brokers said that even though they are competing in the same team, by going head-to-head in the fundraising element with ‘Eastside V Westside – Battle of the brokers’, they would spur on their own motivation and help get as many brokers as possible to donate to Zero2Hero.
“We wanted to find a way to raise the most funds for charity and, by having it as a battle of Josh against me, it means both teams need to drive as many people as possible to donate for their side,” Mr Jefferies said.
Mr De Buelle added: “Kieran is talking up a big game on his previous experience and I am keen to see if he can back it up on the big day!”
In the lead-up to the event, the two brokers will post updates on social media and via Australian Finance Group (AFG) webinars to provide a behind-the-scenes look at the brokers’ training and raise awareness and support for the cause.
Mr Jefferies is currently training five days a week at Manly Pool with the Triathlon squad, swimming 3–4 kilometres per session, while Mr De Buelle said he is following the program that his coach created for him when he did his solo crossing in 2022 and training across multiple different pools around Perth and beyond, dependant on where his schedule takes him.
Mr De Buelle said: “There are multiple open water events leading up to the big day, which are great chances to test, prepare, and try new routines out for the big day”, but he noted that “getting used to feeding whilst swimming is a real skill.”
Overall, Mr Jefferies said he hoped the swim would not only raise funds, but also become an annual event, inviting brokers across Australia to participate and support various charities.
The Olleh Lending broker told The Adviser: “Our goal is to create an annual event where any broker can be a part of the east or west team. Brokers can raise funds for their chosen charity and also expand to do different events around Australia.
“We would hope to have Battle of the Brokers on every year.”
Mr De Buelle concluded: “We hope to grow this bigger and bigger each year to involve more brokers to bring together like-minded people who need an injection of ‘real life’ outside of the chaos that is broking.”
Those eager to support or donate can do so via the the link here.
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