Ellie O'Connor

"Me and Ellie worked together as volunteers in Mexico between 2005-2008 and became good friends very early.

Then in 2009, she took on bringing four children from the NPH Mexico taekwondo program to an international tournament in Chicago. She did the whole thing on her own initiative. She raised the funds through her own network, planned the itinerary with NPH staff in Mexico, handled flights and logistics, and hosted the kids for their entire stay. She worked across two languages and organizations, kept everyone moving, and followed up on every detail until it was done. The kids came home with gold, silver and bronze medals and a week they'll never forget, and none of it would have happened without Ellie. She's driven, warm, and very good at turning a big idea into something real."