They share the laughs weekdays on the Gold Coast Triple M Breakfast Show and juggle a host of community events, but energetic on-air hosts Ali Plath and Spida Everitt are also making time to move 100ks in June to help tackle bullying and violence.
The popular radio presenters say they’re honoured to support this year’s Healthy Harold Hundred, helping raise money for Life Ed Queensland’s respectful relationships programs in schools and taking a stand against bullying.
Ali sums up her feelings about the cause:
“I’m passionate about kids being taught invaluable life and social skills at a young age and on a grand scale. In my opinion, learning to be a good friend, a kind person, how to fit in while still maintaining your individuality, and learning how to behave socially appropriately, are all lessons that are far more important to consolidate before you pick up a trigonometry textbook.”
Ali’s childhood
Growing up in a strictly religious family, Ali says she was excommunicated from the church at the age of 19 for having two children out of wedlock.
“I guess you can say I’ve had my share of discrimination and hard times. As a kid, we did feel different to other kids whose families were living a more ‘normal’ existence. Our parents didn’t drink or do barbecues or socialise really at all, other than the occasional church event,” she recalls.
“The religion I grew up in was very restrictive, dictating what you wore, stipulating no tea or coffee, no alcohol etc. There were very few leadership roles for women and certainly none of those were anywhere near the top positions in the church. We went to church for three hours every single Sunday, youth group every Tuesday night and Bible study before high school. I drew the line though when it came to, the ‘no sport on Sundays’ rule. I was never going to be able to stick to that one!”
“Maybe feeling ‘different’ or ’weird’ and ‘not normal’ at times as a kid has contributed to me being extremely passionate about inclusivity. It has never sat well with me if someone in the room is feeling uncomfortable, excluded or is generally just having a lesser experience than others in that moment."
"Everyone has the right to feel that their opinion, presence or preference is just as important as anyone else’s on this planet."
Best and fairest on field and off
Triple M Gold Coast Brekky co-host Peter ‘Spida’ Everitt, a former Australian rules footballer who played 291 games in the AFL, also feels strongly about the anti-bullying cause.
Named Best and Fairest twice in his career and a three-time All Australian, Spida believes it’s important for kids to learn respect and empathy for others whether on the sporting field or in the schoolyard.
“As a father of four, and now, grandfather as well, I know that the journey to adulthood can have its ups and downs. As parents, we do our best, but we can’t be there every minute of every day. The work that Life Ed does in teaching kids about making good choices for life, whether that’s around drugs, alcohol, eating well, cybersafety, and learning about respect for self and others, is a big help to parents. Bullying is a real downer for kids, and that’s why I’m here to support this year’s Healthy Harold Hundred.”
From all of us at Life Ed Queensland, a big thank you to Ali and Spida for supporting this year’s Healthy Harold Hundred. You can help them support us by heading to Spida or Ali's fundraising page on the Healthy Harold Hundred website, or maybe you’d like to register for the 100K challenge too.
Every participant is making a difference in the lives of Queensland children.
