A family from the US keeps this motto in mind as two members prepare to swim all 2508 kilometres of the Murray River in 90 days or less.

Eric Helmick, 54, and his son Hunter, 25, will begin their swim near Corryong on Saturday, with younger son, Tuck, 16, captaining their support boat. Fourteen people in total make up the venture, including some in kayaks and others providing support on land.

Mr Helmick and his sons founded Team Help!, a corporation that aims to promote ideas, dreams and passions through action.

“Our goal at the end is to inspire and give hope to the youth of Australia,” Mr Helmick said. “So we’re combating discouragement and suicide by going out to students and youth and saying you can achieve anything if you put your heart and your mind into it and if someone believes in you.”

Mr Helmick, from Idaho Springs, Colorado, said he and his older son were certified swift water rescue swimmers before they sold everything, including their home, and travelled to Australia.

They have run a school essay competition in conjunction with their swim and are also filming a documentary of the adventure.

Their final training at Corryong has focused on safety, preparing for emergencies and getting used to the waters they faced.

“We just had a swim for about five kilometres to see what we were up against,” Mr Helmick said. “A lot of floodwater, so a lot of stuff to watch out for, obviously.

“Everybody’s confidence is pretty high right now.

“There’s so many unknowns, how cold is it, how fast is it, but once everybody was in the water, kayaking and swimming, they felt really good about it.”

When the journey begins, the Helmicks will swim between five and 10 hours each day and set up camp overnight.

At this stage they plan to pass through Albury about December 10 or 11 and intend to stop and meet well wishers along the way.

“If there’s a crowd, we’ll be out and we’ll be having fun, you bet,” Mr Helmick said. “We get a lot of people that tell us we’re crazy but people are typically very positive and encourage us.”

Corryong’s Graham Middleton swam the Murray in 1991-1992 while Tammy Van Wisse achieved the feat in 2000-2001.

“Both Hunter and I joke around, ‘You know what, the swimming will be the easy part’,” Mr Helmick said.

“Because there’s been so many logistics and so many preparations and schedules to prepare, we’re like at the point where we just get in and start swimming.”