At Kids For Peace, we have an army of Kindness Ambassadors who are extremely passionate about bringing The Great Kindness Challenge program to every school and creating a culture of kindness worldwide. We recognize that this is a major feat and cannot be accomplished alone. So, we rely on the support and outreach of our amazing and kindhearted ambassadors, like Kelsey Tainsh. We are extremely grateful for our Kindness Ambassadors’ unparalleled commitment to cultivating kindness on campuses nationwide, and beyond! Together we ARE changing the world!

Please read on to learn about Kindness Ambassador Kelsey’s journey with The Great Kindness Challenge and what kindness means to her personally!

Kelsey, what does kindness mean to you?
To me kindness means treating people the way you want to be treated no matter how they look, walk, talk, dress, or act. Kindness means doing nice things for others while appreciating the nice things others do for you. Kindness is sitting with someone who is sitting alone at lunch, sticking up for someone who is being bullied, opening the door for someone, smiling, and giving someone a compliment. Kindness is to be kind no matter how others behave. One act of bullying can change a person’s life, one act of kindness can too.

What inspires you to do the work you do?
As a motivational speaker I am inspired by what happens when I speak to an audience. When a student shares with me that I made a difference in their life, when students open about kindness and character, and when they share their struggles and realize they are not alone. I am inspired when I see someone sticking up for someone else, when I speak at a school, leave, and a week later hear that the kids who were being mean are now being kind instead.

Describe a moment kindness made an impact in your life?
I was on the crew team in high school and after I had to have surgery for a brain tumor and had a stroke, I had right sided weakness and could not be on the team anymore. A coach, one of the mothers, and some very special friends arranged for me to go out in an eight-person boat with them and experience rowing with them again. I never forgot how they came together to give this gift to me. I learned how important support and teamwork is to all of us.

What is your wish for the world?
I wish that we lived in a world where people treated each other as equals and everyone was given the respect that we all deserve. I wish for a world in which bullying was replaced with kindness. It would be a world where we understood the value of our differences.

What motivates you?
For the longest time I didn’t think I was good enough, and my disability and differences were a constant reminder that I was not pretty enough, talented enough, smart enough, or funny enough. Life was harder for me than it was for others around me. I became motivated when I realized that how pretty, talented, smart, and funny I was did not depend on what others thought of me or said about me. I became motivated when I realized that I was funny, I was talented, and I was smart even though I was not going to become a doctor, lawyer, or physical therapist. What I did for a living could make just as important of an impact on the world we live in. I became motivated when I realized I could make a difference in this world because of the person I have become as a result of my disabilities and hardships.

Thank you for reminding us that kindness is a strength, Kelsey! You are beautiful, smart, and kind – thank you for all that you do to make this world a kinder place. Become a Kindness Ambassador like Kelsey and join The Great Kindness Challenge! To learn more, click here.

Kelsey travels as a professional speaker – to learn more about bringing Kelsey to your school please visit: www.KelseyTainsh.com.