Passionate about giving children the best start: Annemarie’s story

Every year, thousands of people hit the pavement for Run Melbourne and make their steps count by raising funds for their favourite charity.

There are many different reasons why people support Berry Street: from feeling a strong connection to our work and receiving support from us during a time of need, to their school introducing the Berry Street Education Model. Our work with children, young people and families brings people together for a common cause.

Annemarie is a remarkable supporter who took on the challenge of Run Melbourne in July 2019. Here Annemarie shares her personal story and experience of running for Berry Street – dressed as a berry.

What inspired you to run for Berry Street?

There are a few factors that inspired me to do Run Melbourne for Berry Street: my family, overcoming my own trauma and my work in Special Education. I am passionate about giving children the best start to life. Disadvantage, disability and trauma should not define a young person, and the work that Berry Street does aligns with this ethos.

I want to use my running for good and help make a difference in the world. I'm very aware that, due to injuries sustained in an accident where I was struck by a car, running is possibly not going to be forever. While I can, I wanted to use it to increase awareness about causes that are close to my heart.

As a teenager, my access to education was limited and I moved from a small town to a larger regional town to study my VCE. This enabled me to become a teacher - without a good education, this may not have been possible.

As a teacher in Special Education working students who have experienced disadvantage and trauma, I understand the impacts of trauma and the importance of giving students an opportunity to gain the skills they need. I also attended a Berry Street Education Model workshop earlier this year, which gave me some practical strategies to implement in my teaching.

Have you been part of an event like Run Melbourne before?

Yes! I started running after losing 32 kilos in 2015 to 2016. My first event was Run Geelong (6km) then Sussan Women’s Fun Run (10km) in 2015. Since I started running again after the accident, I've also done other events, like Run for the Kids and Pink Triathlon.

What did you do to reach your target?

This is the first time I've reached a fundraising target! I shared my fundraising page on Instagram and Facebook several times a week, always posting with a story about why I was supporting Berry Street and making it memorable.

As I got closer to my goal, I put out a challenge to my followers, friends and family: if I reached my goal of $1,000, I would run in a berry costume. I conducted a poll and the strawberry costume was the winner.

What were your highlights?

I really enjoyed the atmosphere. I’ve been part of the running community for a few years now so I knew several people participating.

People have since reached out on Instagram saying that seeing me dressed as a strawberry at the event brought a smile to their faces. Meeting Berry Street CEO, Michael Perusco, was special as well.

What would you say to someone who was thinking of signing up to run for Berry Street?

I would definitely encourage them to, especially if it’s a cause they believe in. The support from the fundraising team was phenomenal.

Thanks to our amazing supporters, almost $24,000 was raised for the Berry Street School through Run Melbourne 2019.