14 March 2025
After spending his 22nd birthday in Afghanistan, Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2) Jesse Sutherland knows a little bit about hardship.
But the Albury-Wodonga local said his experiences pale in comparison to the hardships of some of his local veterans and Defence members.
That’s why he has organised the Meet You at the Top run to raise money for the Wodonga Returned and Services League (RSL).
WO2 Sutherland will begin his 112km run at 12:01am on March 29, starting at Monument Hill. He will then summit Nail Can Hill, Red Light Hill, Maher’s Hill, Mount Baranduda, Huon Hill, Federation Hill and finish back at Monument Hill.
At each stop, he will meet with a veteran to hear their stories of service, resilience and sacrifice. This will be captured and shared in the lead-up to Anzac Day for awareness and appreciation of all those who have served.
With an initial goal to reach $5000, WO2 Sutherland has already topped $14,000.
Wodonga RSL president Jamie Wolfe, who will join WO2 Sutherland for part of the run, said the funds would go directly to current and serving personnel and their families.
“It’s just an amazing effort from Jesse – his heart’s in the right place,” Mr Wolfe said.
“We’ve helped out some Defence personnel he’s responsible for, so he can actually link what the RSL does to current serving military personnel.
“So, for me, it’s not a surprise he’s willing to put his body on the line for such a great cause, but we’re blown away that the money will come to us and allow us to put on more events, and support more veterans as we move through the next 12 months.”
'It’s just an amazing effort from Jesse – his heart's in the right place.'
As the event creeps closer, WO2 Sutherland’s training has increased. He regularly runs more than four hours, and spends hours at the Recovery Lab, but it’s not something he’s used to.
“I think I've got about four participation medals at home with all the previous things I've done,” he said.
“I wasn't known as a runner. I played all the sports like every country kid did. Cricket, footy, tennis. I even did hockey at some stage, but I was never in the elite class or considered in the bloody place-getters, that's for sure.
“The running thing originated from a 2019 AFL local country footy pre-season effort. I was notorious for packing on the pounds over Christmas break, and come January or February when we started pre-season, I was carrying a sack of potatoes everywhere I went around my waist.
“So I started. I wanted to run a marathon … on the eve of round-one footy. It was from then that people associated the term ‘runner’ with part of my identity.”
WO2 Sutherland, the Wing Sergeant Major at Armament and Construction Wing (ACW), Army Logistic Training Centre, said he had seen the RSL in action.
“At ACW, we have been the direct beneficiary of their work,” he said.
“We had a member in crisis and, after exhausting Defence lines of funding, we made the informal liaison with the RSL to say, ‘Look, this is the situation, what's the likelihood?’ It was to get the member's sister-in-law to fly down and assist with the crisis happening in his life – he needed an extra set of hands with managing his family.
“It was $850 in flights. We provided the receipts to Jamie (Wodonga RSL president). He reimbursed him the next day.
“That member had been supporting the RSL for a decade and now he's been the beneficiary of the work the RSL does. When you have an organisation that gives directly back and they're not just preaching, ‘We help’, it's like, what can I now do for you? Everybody has an obligation to give back, I think.”
To donate to the cause, go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/meet-you-at-the-top
