A testament to the power of the human spirit, Kath Koschel is a survivor who has overcome incredible odds and unimaginable tragedy to inspire ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Koschel is formerly an elite cricketer and Ironman competitor whose world came crashing down when she broke her back twice in the span of five years and was told she\u2019d never walk again. Instead, she faced the challenges head-on and defied all medical prognoses by teaching herself to walk again on three separate occasions. Driven by a passion to spread gratitude in the world, she founded Kindness Factory with the goal of encouraging one million acts of kindness and helping people find the light during dark times. Kath\u2019s work has been celebrated globally, most recently being named the 2025 NSW Australian of the Year and recipient of the Australia Medal for courage in overcoming extreme adversity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"