Running for Our Students, Running for Hope

As a teacher, I have witnessed and felt complete heartbreak this year. We've lost young lives, many more have battled, survived, but remain wounded. These young people felt they had nowhere to turn, and their struggle is a national one.

That is why I am tackling my first ever marathon—the Queenstown Marathon—to raise every dollar I can for I Am Hope, an organisation that cuts through the bureaucracy to provide free, professional counselling for our young people.

This isn't just a race, it's a fight against a national crisis. New Zealand's youth suicide rates are ridiculously high, nearly three times the average of OECD countries. These stats are more than just numbers on a page; they are the overwhelming weight our students carry. They are the friends who sit next to each other, both struggling to speak up. They are the bright potential that hopelessness threatens to extinguish. This crisis has devastated our entire community. When a student attempts or is lost, the ripple effect crushes their friends, classmates, teachers and traumatises their families

I'm running this marathon not just for my students, but for all of Aotearoa's young people who are wrestling with the voice in their head. Every kilometer I run is a message to our kids: we see you, your life is irreplaceable, and you are not alone. We have to stand together and be the hope that our community desperately needs.

Please donate to power more free sessions and help a young life find its hope again.