Community Champ Kellie Stubbs is Building Mental Fitness One Step (and Cuppa) at a Time

Kellie Stubb’s first involvement with Gotcha4Life started with a real and tragic need: Supporting the Como Crocodiles Rugby League Football Club community in Sydney’s south after the suicide of one of their own in 2019.

Since then, Kellie has become a driving force, raising funds and rolling out Gotcha4Life’s programs to men’s and women’s teams from under 16s through to opens.

When word spread, so did Kellie’s efforts, as she helped bring workshops to teams from other local football and netball clubs too.

After seeing first hand the impact the programs have had on the female players, Kellie wanted to give more women the chance to break down barriers and build connections.

She put an expression of interest out on the Engadine Heathcote community page.

Would any local women be interested in joining a ‘walk and talk’ group - get some mild exercise in the local area, then have a chat over a cuppa at a nearby cafe? An exercise for the body and the mind?

Would they ever!

The post blew up. Men were tagging women, girlfriends were tagging each other.

Kellie created a Facebook group. Within an hour, it had 40 members.

Now, every Sunday up to 20 women ranging in age from 30 to their 70s set off together at 8am.

“There’s plenty of men’s sheds and groups out there, but I wanted to something for women. There’s women’s groups with harder level hiking, but many women feel it’s beyond them so they don’t go,” Kellie says.

“It’s movement and it’s a chat. Everyone’s welcome. No one is left out or behind, and there’s no judgment. It’s all super respectful. Quite a few have become friends and now catch up outside of the group too.”

When the online community reached around 200, Kellie decided to put on a community workshop for women to help break down the barriers and stereotypes holding them back. Walkers and non-walkers from the group that now numbers more than 900 attended.

So did an old school friend who was going through a marriage breakdown. She experienced a light bulb moment, gaining clarity through the fog, Kelly explains.

“She has a three year old daughter. She said to me, ‘I get it. I need to model to my daughter what I want her to be.’ She now tells her daughter to speak up, to use her voice. She found the strength in herself to stand up and do that while she’s going through a divorce.”

Back at the local cafes after a Sunday stroll, listening is just as important as talking to Engadine Heathcote Women’s Walk and Talk.

“They’re finally in a space where people are listening. They’re able to talk about things going on in their lives and have someone’s ear. They realise they don’t always have to be the ‘fixer’. Sometimes the greatest thing you can do is listen.”

And one of the newer women to join a walk?

The mother of the young gentleman whose suicide first brought Gotcha4Life to the Como Crocs.

Kellie’s impact has come full circle.