Former ‘Biggest Loser’ trainer Jillian Michaels is known for her tough and no-nonsense attitude. But, behind this hard facade is a soft-hearted person, who’s willing to make sacrifices for people in need.
A Life-Changing Documentary
A couple of years back, Michaels happened to watch a short film called ‘Refugee’, which discussed the issue of the refugee crisis happening in numerous areas of the world.
According to the 45-year-old, she initially attended the screening to show support for one of her clients who actually worked on making the film.
Speaking with People magazine, Michaels revealed that she felt ‘shattered’ by the things she learned from the film. She even described the story of a sick woman in the documentary who had to travel on foot just to escape her country.
She ended up dying in what Michaels described to be a ‘totally preventable’ death. The trainer also shared about thinking that she’ll never have the same kind of strength she did to do the same.
After the eye-opening screening, Michaels came to the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR).
Insisting that she get to do something more than just posting a PSA on social media, the mother of two eventually spent years to plan out a trip she herself funded to see the refugees from South Sudan, who were currently in the Congo.
Seeing the Situation Firsthand
Having the opportunity to finally see the situation firsthand, Michaels learned more about the issue she’s passionate about.
During her stay, she learned that the country needs some $30-40 million to accommodate the 95,700 refugees from South Sudan, who are currently living there. Unfortunately, they only have about 12% of the needed amount.
And she attested to this need for monetary resources herself. According to Michaels, she saw a health clinic which serves a 10,000 people strong community with just six nurses on staff. She even described the need for basic necessities in the settlements to be a matter of ‘life or death’.
The celebrity trainer also emphasized how the UNHCR has the knowledge to help the people in need but is unfortunately underfunded. That’s why she was deadset on helping in the fundraising aspect of the issue when she returned to the United States.
Getting More Involved
Putting her background as a professional fitness trainer to good use, Michaels began the ‘Step with Jillian’ program with the UNHCR.
To help raise funds, the celebrity trainer has volunteered to walk a total of 100 miles throughout the month of July. The challenge is also open to anyone in the world who’s willing to help raise funds.
One of Michaels’ goals was to get each participant to raise about $100 which is just enough to cover the costs of three emergency rescue kits.
As of latest, the Step with Jillian website shows that the initiative has already raised over $114,000.
