Sophie Smith Fund - Sydney Marathon

On Sunday 15th September 2024, Sophie’s sister Mel Koch will be running in the Sydney Marathon (42.2km) to raise funds for the Sophie Smith Fund. 

Mel’s reason for running in the Sydney Marathon this year is because of the significance of the event. Loving its diversity and vibe, Sophie chose to relocate to Sydney in 2010 after living in the UK for 2.5 years.  It has also been 10 years since Sophie passed away and Mel wanted to mark this occasion with a remarkable milestone. Combining Mel’s love of fitness (especially running), her philanthropic values and personal bucket-list goal of running a marathon, the Sydney Marathon idea was born.

Honouring Sophie

For more than 10 years, funds raised in Sophie’s name (including during her cancer treatment) amounting to more than $80,000 have been granted to The Australian Cancer Research Foundation, as well as to the Leukaemia Foundation. 

Sophie’s family now wishes to acknowledge and honour Sophie’s personal passions as a lasting tribute to the beautiful person she was.  Passions which enriched Sophie’s life from a young age included the written word (through reading and writing) and music.  Her interest in the words in music/songs we believe stemmed from her sensitive nature and deep understanding and observation of human emotions.

We are therefore thrilled that through The Fremantle Foundation we are now working with Western Australia’s peak music body (West Australian Music – WAM) to develop an exciting initiative that will both honour Sophie and benefit the music industry in Western Australia.  It is hoped that The Sophie Smith Fund will endow this legacy project well into the future.

The Smith family feel Mel’s Sydney Marathon is the perfect fundraiser to kickstart the Sophie Smith legacy project.

Mel’s significant fundraising goal is $42,200. We hope you will help us smash this target by donating to this amazing fund - please see below.