IT WAS a message that hopefully encouraged more young people to think seriously about the importance of safe travel.
Kate Fitzsimons, the younger sister of Nicole Fitzsimons — who died in a motorcycle accident in Thailand two years ago — toured four Sutherland Shire high schools on August 26.
Kate established the Nicole Fitzsimons Foundation after her sister, 24, was killed on holidays in October 2012. Nicole was a talented dancer and sports journalist.
As the voice of the foundation, Kate, 22, of Sans Souci, is travelling across the nation to raise awareness about travel risks and dangers confronting young Australians.
By giving students holiday tips and spreading the word about transport safety, drink spiking and passport scams, Kate hopes to prevent other families suffering similar tragedies.
"With our desire to travel, our youth tends to give us a sense of invincibility," she said.
"Through sharing Nicole's story I have discovered I open students' eyes to the fact that the unthinkable does happen.
"With more than double the number of under-25s travelling overseas compared with a decade ago and 6000 schoolies pouring into Bali this year, it's more important than ever to educate our youth about safe-travel behaviour.
"It is through education that we can prevent young Aussie travellers from becoming just another statistic."
Details: nicolefitzsimons.com
