Footballer to Food Activist - Marcus Rashford

Joe - 15 - Australia

Role models are important not just because of what they do, but because of who they are and what their actions mean. The reasoning behind the actions is just as important as the actions themselves. 

For Marcus Rashford, the footballer and now world-renowned activist, his actions were massively influential and his motives no less pure. 

Over the past 6 years, footballer Marcus Rashford has quickly become a household name. Scoring twice on his debut for Manchester United made him an instant sensation in the UK, but for many children across Greater Manchester, his work meant so much more. 

Photo from https://www.freepik.com/photos/food 

Marcus has used his platform and experience to incite change in many of the lives of young people across the UK. In 2019 he set up a campaign with Selfridges to give thousands of essential packages to the school kids of England. He personally delivered 300 of the packages to the charity. After campaigning and lobbying the government from behind the scenes made no impact, he sent an open letter to his local MPs and Boris Johnson lobbying for free meals and fair treatment of homeless and impoverished children. 

"Ten years ago, I would have been one of those children [needing support] … you would have never heard my voice and seen my determination to become part of the solution." - https://twitter.com/MarcusRashford/status/1272302819819823105/photo/1 

Thanks to his work, meals and support were provided to children around the United Kingdom and he was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for his efforts.

Marcus Rashford is a role model not simply because of his sporting skill but because of the person he is. Role models don’t have to be sporting stars or celebrities or even famous at all. We can see role models from anywhere, in anyone. We can be role models because of the type of person we are, not our number of followers on Instagram. 

Sometimes we don’t have to wait for the person in the mirror, we can be the role model, we can be the change we want to see.