Meet Katie, an American expat living in Melbourne who ran 23K and raised $2.3K to support kids from refugee and migrant backgrounds.

Hello Katie! Congratulations on completing the 23km Great Ocean Road race! What prompted you to do it and raise money for RMCC kids? 

Thank you for having me! I’m Katie, an American expat living in Melbourne with my bike guru and chef extraordinaire partner and our silver fox of a Frenchy. I started a fundraiser called 23k for 2.3k where I did a 23km race on Great Ocean Road to raise $2300 for kids from refugee and migrant backgrounds.

Is there any particular moment/story that makes you so passionate about supporting kids from refugee and migrant backgrounds?

It was a particular moment back in February. My partner and I were teaching surfing and paddleboarding down on Phillip Island.

One day we had a group of small kids under ten who we had been told had either never learned to swim or ever been to the beach. Some kids struggled but others warmed up over the session. One little boy stood out because he refused to get in the water at all. Towards the end of the lesson, he pulled me aside and said “Could you please get a picture of me in the water on the board? My mum spent a lot of time and money to get me here and I don’t want her to think I’m just sitting on my butt having a bad time”.

This kid couldn’t have been older than 8. And he already had this awareness and courtesy that just made my heart swell. We found out the kids were all from refugee backgrounds and I thought, jeez – we just made these kids’ day by just giving them a chance to break out of their comfort zone and have a little fun. Who knows what lengths their parents went through to get them to where they are today?

Where did the idea of running 23km for $2300 come from?

I decided that I wanted to give something back by raising funds for kids from refugee and migrant backgrounds. The Great Ocean Road Race just matched up and I figured $2300 was a good number. It gave me a chance to experience the beauty of the country I now call home. So it’s like a two birds one stone situation.

How did you hear about RMCC? Why did you choose us to donate to?

As a migrant myself I related so much to your organization. Growing up I moved around a lot and my parents moved us overseas at a very young age. I know what it’s like to be somewhere so foreign and not fit in at that age.

I did a lot of research into your organisation and it ticks every box on focusing on helping young child refugees in Australia feel safe and at home. It fits so well with my goals and the best interest of these little kids. That’s how we ended up here!

What was the reaction of your family and friends?

My friends and family have been incredibly supportive, I couldn’t raise $2300 without them! I shared the video of RMCC kids you sent me with them – they absolutely loved it! They were all so adamant about the cause.

We all have our own unique pandemic stories to share about things we learned, ways we grew and new traditions being made. What I’ve learned is that everybody needs help and when we donate our time or resources with the simple click of a button or an afternoon, we’re making a world of difference in someone else’s life.

Here are some photos from Katie’s training and her Great Ocean Road race.

You can check out Katie’s fundraising page here: https://au.gofundme.com/f/2c9myshhhc?utm_campaign=p_cp_url&utm_medium=os&utm_source=customer