Our Heroes

Our heroes understand the link between greenhouse emissions, climate change, and the growing risk of an extreme weather future. And their actions speak louder than words.

Our heroes have awesome skills, their dedication is amazing, and they remind us that young people are reclaiming their future to confront the challenge of a changing climate every day around Australia, in our cities and regional communities, on our beaches and in the bush.

Ruby Haouchar

Ruby is a long time member of the SES in Victoria, and is the Acting Controller of the Footscray Unit. Ruby is a committed hockey player, a trained Forensic Technician and a university textbook studying machine! Ruby has been an award winning volunteer for the SES and with skills like chainsaw operating, urban search and rescue and more, Ruby is committed to spread that word that EVERYONE can be a hero! Once the extreme weather hits, Ruby takes on part human part CLOBBERELLA!! Some say that she wasn't born with a chainsaw, but with that outfit, no one would know the difference!

Aaron Purchase

Aaron has every Queenslander's dream job - on the beach as a volunteer for Surf Life Saving Queensland. From coordinating Rescue Helicopters and protecting our shrinking beaches, Aaron has a genuine appreciation for sunscreen and a love of long weekends. Aaron hates rude people, but is doing his bit to get all the nice people in Queensland to learn what the coloured flags really mean, and to swim parallel to the beach to get out of a rip. He does his share of work behind the desk too helping to raise money for his fellow lifesavers - and getting people like YOU to become a Little Nipper!

Liz Cantor

Liz Cantor is an Australian television presenter and a volunteer for the SES in Queensland! She currently reports for Great South East and Creek To Coast; and you may have seen her on Golden Casket Lotto draw or the weekend beach and surf reports for Seven News Queensland. Liz won the reality television series The Mole, has appeared in two Australian movies, and found a part time job as a surf judge, and became the first female judge on a World Circuit Tour level. Through her surfing Liz traveled to Fiji, Tahiti, The Maldives, Hawaii and Europe. At 16 Liz moved to Noosa and developed an obsession surfing, gained a sponsorship from Billabong and was a competitive surfer on the Australian Junior Series for five years. These days when Liz isn’t working, she loves to escape for a weekend of camping and surfing. Liz lives for adventure and isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty!

Zoe Payne

After hearing about St John Ambulance First Aid Volunteers at age fourteen, she couldn’t wait to sign up. She has been an active member since and has now gone on to become a Registered Nurse, using many of the emergency medicine skills learnt as a St John Ambulance Volunteer. Zoe is still at the very same division where she was trained and is now training young cadets, and forms part of the divisions’ management team.

Stephen Chappell

Stephen juggles plumbing, friends, family, sport, music, volunteering for the Rural Fire Service and being an Extreme Weather Hero. In between playing guitar, unblocking drainpipes and learning how to surf - Stephen is working his way up the ranks as an Incident Controller for the RFS. As the summer season gets longer, hotter and dryer - Stephen is putting down his plumbing tools, throwing on his cape and getting his mates together to learn something new every day...

Dean Adams

At 16, Dean joined St John Ambulance Victoria as a Cadet in 2004. Dean graduated and became an Adult member at 18 becoming a First Aid Volunteer which enabled him to attend an array of local and state events across Victoria. Dean has just finished his degree to be a Paramedic and believes he can utilise the skills and training learnt at St John to further his career in his chosen profession.

Jo Buldeski

Jo is not what you would call a greenie, but we like to call this Brisbane girl a (pacifist) warrior for humanity. From helping youth of Lalinda in Ambrym, Vanuatu prepare their communities for emergencies, to training other volunteers in Australian Red Cross Emergency Services Personal Support, Jo Buldeski is contributing to long-lasting social change. Jo loves macadamia ice-cream and hates people who complain about the world but choose to do nothing. Look out for her generation-defining novel in bookstores soon(ish).

Ayla Curtis

Ayla spent her youth on the Gold Coast, but moved to Brisbane at 17 to pursue a social life, with occasional study. Ayla is pretty new to the SES. Fear prompted her to begin volunteering with the QLD SES last year, when she realised how underprepared she was for the zombie invasion she believes in inevitable. So far, her short time with the SES has taught her some amazing knot tying techniques and increased her skill in the ancient art of dad jokes.

Ben Tsang

Ben is with the Red Cross from Sydney. So depending on which direction you're facing he's either up or down from you. He volunteers in the Emergency and Youth Services fields handing out bandaids and bandages, educating the kiddies in drug awareness and helping with personal support when you're up to your neck in water or your roof has collapsed.

Jake Cannon

Jake was practically born a firefighter, (aka a 'pyromaniac on the good side') and is our Extreme Weather Hero from the ACT Rural Fire Service. Devastated at age 4 that he could not immediately don a hat, hose, and listen to sirens all day - he returned on his 16th birthday and now is super highly skilled to save our bushland from the next fire season!

Katie Greenwood

Katie is the Red Cross disaster management poster girl. From Cyclone Larry to the Solomon Islands - Katie gets her kicks from fostering positive change amidst vulnerable communities and individuals. Between scuba diving and avoiding pea and ham soup, Katie takes spontaneous volunteers under her wing and moulds them into the next generation of Extreme Weather Heroes!

Want to help? You can't wait until next extreme weather event. Get into emergency volunteering now! Log your readiness and see what you can do to get involved!