Her story could be seen as incredibly tragic. An elite cricketer, 23-year-old Kath Koschel made her 2011 debut for the NSW Breakers, the start of what promised to be a stellar career. But months later she broke her back, entering a long and arduous rehab – her dream cruelly cut short.
It was a hard place for a young person to be, but it was here Kath met Jim – a wonderful, kind man she fell deeply in love with – the pair planning a future including marriage and children.
Together, they lifted up each other, and those around them. His death by suicide was unexpected and devastating, and as Kath grieved, she was hit by a car while cycling – suffering a second broken back and undergoing more rehab. Tragic, yes. But Kath turned that pain into purpose after reflecting on the kindness of those who helped her along the way.
In 2015, Kath established the Kindness Factory – a not-for-profit through which she documented a trip around Australia, logging small acts of kindness she performed whilst encouraging others to do the same. Today, over five million acts have been logged.
Then she began speaking about her kindness journey. Michelle Obama was in one audience; Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine company optioned her story for a movie after another. Still,
