08/12/2025
14 Months, 6 Assessments, Countless Lessons — and One Unexpected Realisation.
Why Search & Rescue?
It’s a question I’ve been asked before, but strangely, not one I ever had a clear answer to — until a conversation a few weeks ago stopped me in my tracks.
An acquaintance asked me a series of simple, yet piercing questions:
What made you think of doing this? What were you considering? What decisions did you weigh up?
And the truth surprised even me.
I didn’t think.
I didn’t weigh anything up.
I didn’t create a plan.
I didn’t look for permission.
I just… did it.
Helping others has always been a natural extension of who I am. I’ve never subscribed to the idea of “less fortunate”; life presents us all with different circumstances, different seasons, different starting points. And if I can help — I do. Not from obligation, not from saviourism, but from a very quiet internal knowing:
“I can do that.”
“I can help her.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
So when it came to Search & Rescue, there was no conscious moment of decision-making. No second guessing. No grand reasoning. It simply unfolded the way it was always meant to.
I had tried to join SAR organisations three times over the years — twice with my beautiful Riva — but the environments never felt right. Something was off, and I stepped away each time.
But then came Bear.
And opportunity number three.
And this time — everything aligned.
Fourteen months later, we’ve completed six assessments with another handful ahead before reaching operational, call-ready status. Along the way, I’ve found a team of passionate, grounded individuals who all show up for one simple, powerful reason:
To help.
Just because they can.
There’s no ego in this world.
No agenda.
No applause required.
Just humans and dogs giving their time, their skills, and their whole hearts to support strangers in some of the darkest moments of their lives.
And Bear…
Watching my boy rise, grow, stretch, shine — exceed every expectation — has been one of the greatest joys of my life.
This work fills my cup in a way I never saw coming. It connects the deepest parts of who I am — service, purpose, instinct, and the bond with my dogs.
I love this journey.
The learning.
The challenge.
The humanity in it.
The quiet service.
All of it.
💛 Your Turn — I’d Love to Hear Your Story
How do you give back to your community?
What does service look like for you — now, or in the future?
What’s the thing you do (or dream of doing)… simply because you can?
Your story might be the spark someone else needs.
