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.

We are in the final week of #RunningDry! I can hardly believe it. Together, this amazing #RunningDry community logged over 201 marathons for our 100 marathons in 1 day challenge. 201! That’s a staggering 8495,3km from 44 countries and territories around the world. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Since we arrived in America for our final leg of #RunningDry, we’ve been meeting so many extraordinary water heroes. Check out my Instagram feed if you haven’t already, to see our daily adventures. I’ve been struck, time and again, by the resilience of the people we’ve met: how they’ve come up with such creative solutions to their water problems, and are thriving despite it all.

Sunday is a big day for #RunningDry - we’re attempting what would have seemed impossible at the beginning of this campaign: 100 marathons in just 1 day. But I really believe we can do it… Together. For those who aren’t natural marathon runners (and I would count myself in your company!) here are 4 ways to make up a marathon.

There’s an African proverb that says, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ Well, I’ve gone about as far as I can alone. The next 25 days of #RunningDry are all about collective action.

If you’ve been following me on Instagram / Facebook / Twitter, you’ll know that Marathon 62 was momentous. It ended with tears thanks to the multiple stress fractures in my right femur. I was told that if I continued running (or walking) on my leg, I would never run again. That if I didn’t take a break, I would break.

This week we’ve been running through Jordan and it has been… epic. A dry desert country with surprising fruit groves, a combination of heartbreaking and inspiring stories all intertwined. I am still so deeply and profoundly exhausted, but this week has reminded me why I’m doing this.