On the bank of the #OrangeRiver, in the middle of the Richtersveld Desert in South Africa, my life changed.

It’s no secret that I grew up through 10 years of drought here in Australia. Everywhere there were reminders of the scarcity of water. The hardship of both nature and those depending on it – farmers, communities, supply chains.

I’ve lost count of the number of times people have asked me if I’m on Strava. My answer has always been some variation of “no”.

Right now we’re washing our hands, our clothes and the surfaces around our home more than ever. For most of us, the process is relatively straightforward – we do it without a second thought: tap on, hands underneath, apply soap and sing happy birthday while we scrub.

Yesterday I was given the immense honor to represent civil society at the United Nations SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) 6 Global Acceleration Framework launch.

Today is World Water Day and it’s taking place against the backdrop of a global pandemic. Covid-19 has changed everything but it seems like the world is waking up to how vital this resource is. Water truly is life.

I am so honoured that the #RunningDry movement has been nominated as a finalist in the prestigious UN SDG Action Awards.

I’m often asked why I run, and how running relates to water. For me, personally, it’s about doing the one thing I know I can do (over and over, every day) that will help to shine a spotlight on the global water crisis. But the #RunningDry community has shown me that there’s more to running than that… When people come together to run (or walk) for water, they talk about the issue. They connect and discuss and share tips and ideas. And there is such worth and power in that.