For someone who’s used to running up to 12 kilometres in a game of football, the 2022 Be Wise Walk from Heidelberg to Lower Plenty is hardly likely to trouble supremely fit AFLW star Sarah Rowe.
We’re delighted to announce that Sarah is our newest ambassador, and the walk will be her first official engagement.
Sarah in step with the Foundation
For someone who’s used to running up to 12 kilometres in a game of football, the 2022 Be Wise Walk is hardly likely to trouble supremely fit AFLW star Sarah Rowe.
The former Republic of Ireland football international – now in the middle of her fifth campaign for Collingwood – has confirmed she’ll be among the thousands of Pat Cronin Foundation supporters striding it out from Heidelberg to Lower Plenty, Melbourne on Sunday, November 20.
We’re also delighted to announce that Sarah is our newest ambassador, and the walk will be her first official engagement.
Sarah joins a range of ambassadors who generously give of their time to help us, including fellow sports identities Matthew Richardson and Sam Switkowski, along with The Project host Peter Helliar and radio broadcaster Craig “Huggy” Huggins.
A role that brings a new perspective
If nothing but determined, Sarah almost makes an art form of squeezing as much life as she can out of every day.
While most appreciate that Sarah, who hails from Mayo, Ireland, divides her year between the AFLW and the Ladies Gaelic Football Association in Ireland’s summer, she also manages to shoe-horn in some training with the Irish soccer team.
That’s in addition to her love for neurolinguistics and exploring the part that psychology plays in sport.
While she has a laser-like focus on building her professional sporting career, she says that off the field the role with the Foundation has already brought a new perspective to her life.
“I think as athletes, we tend to get caught up in our mindset. When you hear something like the Pat Cronin story, it brings you back down to earth,” she says.
It was for this reason that Sarah approached the Foundation immediately after hearing her first Be Wise presentation, wanting to know more about the 2022 Be Wise Walk and how she could help.
“Up until then I must admit I hadn’t heard of the Pat Cronin Foundation. The presentation, which was given to the Collingwood AFLW team earlier this year made such an impact on us all.
“I don’t think most people realise the potential repercussions and the lifetime of pain that can be inflicted by something seemingly as simple as one punch.”
“The one question”
Sarah met with Matt and Robyn Cronin to gain a better understanding of the Foundation and its work, and quickly agreed to become an ambassador after talking to them.
“The thing I wanted to know was: ‘How do they cope with what they’ve been through?’
“After meeting with them I discovered they’re amazing people with a real appreciation for life.
“After listening to Robyn, I came to understand they’ve gained an incredible sense of purpose in changing attitudes to violence, as well as raising awareness of its potential long-term impacts through an understanding of Pat’s story.
“For me, if the initiative can save the lives of others, then the effort will have been worthwhile.“
Join Sarah at the 2022 Be Wise Walk
The 2022 Be Wise Walk on Sunday, November 20, is already shaping up to be one of our most successful yet.
Due to pandemic restrictions, it’s our first full-sized walk in three years and we’re pulling out all the stops to make it the perfect family day out.
Registration (which includes a t-shirt) is open now and $40 for adults and kids over 12, and $20 for under 12s. You can find all the details for signing up, as well as parking, transport, location of toilets and a whole host of frequently asked questions about the day here.
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