Geelong swimmer Lachlan Ricchini to be honoured after tragic death with ‘Laps for Lachie’ fundraiser
The Victorian swimming community has been rocked by the death of teen swimmer Lachlan Ricchini. But they are banding together — and they have already raised an enormous figure.
Lachlan Ricchini swam in the Laps for Life mental health fundraiser with his brother, Cameron, last year.
Twelve months on, the Geelong and wider Victorian swimming community will be completing laps in his honour.
The much-loved Ricchini tragically took his own life on February 4 of this year at the age of 15, devastating news which rocked the Geelong swimming fraternity.
The Ricchini family are known throughout the Victorian swimming community with Lachlan and Cameron both heavily involved. Cameron is Geelong Swimming Club’s captain, while Lachlan was a member of Melbourne Swimming Club
Their father Brett was a former swimmer and triathlete who currently runs swimming programs with the City of Greater Geelong.
Local swimming clubs will be coming together to host the first annual ‘Laps for Lachie’ at Kardinia Aquatic Centre from 10:30am this Sunday — an extension of the Laps for Life initiative, which seeks to prevent youth suicide.
The ‘Laps for Lachie’ initiative has already raised more than $30,000, closing in on their overall goal of $40,000 – an incredible achievement given the Laps for Life fundraiser kicks off at the beginning of March.
Geelong Swimming Club president Tim Woods said Lachlan’s death has been widely felt and that there was no better way to honour him than doing what he loved.
“It has an enormous impact. Swimming might be a relatively large sport but still it is a subset of the total community and the threads of people’s lives wind their way through and around us all and now Lachie’s loss is very deeply felt right across the community, including the swimming community,” Woods said.
“He loved swimming and there is no better way to honour him and to remember him appropriately than with a swimming activity.
“That’s why the community is coming together to do that, and why there’s been such an outpouring of heartfelt angst and grief. And also a huge amount of effort going into raising some much-needed money to prevent youth suicide.”
Coloured swimming caps will be available for purchase and entry is free for the event.
Bright attire was a trademark of Ricchini, with guests at his funeral all adorning colourful clothing.
DONATE TO LAPS FOR LACHIE HERE
Originally published as Geelong swimmer Lachlan Ricchini to be honoured after tragic death with ‘Laps for Lachie’ fundraiser
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