Hampton Rovers Junior Football Club’s Sachi Norton has been awarded the first Monash University Leader of the Month for 2022, for her demonstration of hopefulness and initiative in the most trying of times.
At 14 years of age, Sachi lost her father to bowel cancer. The experience of losing a loved one to such a horrible disease has shifted Sachi’s outlook, seeing her demonstrate characteristics far beyond her age.
Sachi was able to raise over $12,000 in honour of her late father, joining the Peter Mac Unite to Fight Cancer 200KM bike ride fund raising appeal, despite never riding more than 10KM before.
“The (Hampton Rovers Junior Football Club) committee was amazed at Sachi’s courage under extreme adversity,” said Hampton Rovers JFC President Rohan Bardwell.
“For a 14-year-old to have the maturity to find a positive out of her dad’s situation and ride 200km in the month of October and raise $12,000 for cancer research was an incredible achievement.”
Known as quite a shy person, Sachi surprised everyone at the Rovers by speaking up in a courageous and selfless way, demonstrating her natural leadership skills, in not only raising funds for cancer research but promoting awareness.
Sachi ran awareness campaigns for the disease using social media and through collaborating with local real estate agencies to utilise outdoor billboards, even going as far as enlisting the help of a graphic designer to implement imagery of her fathers beloved Melbourne Football Club.
The awareness campaign generated numerous anonymous donations to Sachi’s fundraising efforts, with Sachi’s brilliant idea of incorporating QR codes on the billboards for passer’s by to easily donate.
“Sachi is an outstanding young woman and role model for anyone going through adversity,” Bardwell said.
“Her father Matt would have been extremely proud of her, as is the club.”
Sachi’s actions in the most difficult of times have inspired everyone at Hampton Rovers JFC and the SMJFL, which is why she is being recognised as the Monash University Leader of the Month for May.
Written by Joel Micari.
