On My Feet was founded in Fremantle in November 2014 by Keegan Crage. What began as a way to support adults experiencing homelessness has grown into a mission to meet that journey at both ends — and what follows is the story of how, and why.
On My Feet was founded in Fremantle in November 2014 by Keegan Crage, who has served as Chair since inception. What follows is what the team has achieved since then. $1.25 million raised over eleven years. 1,000+ Australians served. An average cost of less than $1,250 per person — at a fraction of the $30,000 annual cost of crisis housing.
Board of Directors
Our team
Understanding who built On My Feet — and why — helps explain why the organisation is the way it is.
The idea for On My Feet came to Keegan Crage while training for an ultra-marathon in the Swiss Alps. Running past homeless people, he asked himself a question he could not un-ask: if running gives me structure, community and self-belief, why couldn't it do the same for them?
He went to the Fremantle Shelter, had breakfast with the residents, and invited them running. They turned up, so he gave them shoes and a simple contract — positive attitude, respect for others — and told them: "Look around. There is no homelessness here. We are all runners."
That was November 2014. Keegan has served as Chair since that day and has never drawn a salary from the organisation he created. The professional career he has built alongside On My Feet — as a Chartered Accountant, as a business owner, and most recently as a student at the University of Oxford — is relevant because it explains how the organisation is run. On My Feet has the governance, the financial discipline and the strategic thinking of a business, because its founder brings that rigour to it — paired with deep empathy and compassion for some of Australia’s most vulnerable people.
The model he built has now served over 1,000 Australians, raised more than $1.25 million, and operated across three countries. He has written about it, spoken about it at schools, and mentored the team that delivers it every week. What has not changed in eleven years is the founding philosophy: a hand up, not a hand out.
But writing the book clarified something. The stories in Homeless & Hopeful share a thread the book names plainly: mental health runs through every one of them — beneath the addiction, the violence, the financial crisis. And again and again, those struggles take root early. You cannot read Autumn's story, or Sammy's, or Jana's, without seeing how young the pain so often begins — in adolescence, in disconnection, in a childhood where no one believed in them.
That is the conviction behind On My Feet's youth work: if the roots form early, support should reach people early too. So On My Feet now works at both ends of the same journey. Our Adult Empowerment Programs support people experiencing homelessness today. Our Youth RISE Program builds resilience and mental wellbeing in young men before disadvantage takes hold — so that fewer of these stories ever need to be written. Homelessness is where the pain becomes visible; adolescence is so often where it begins. We work at both.
The significance of On My Feet's contribution is recognised across government, the social services sector, academia, sport and education. These are formal endorsements drawn from letters of support.
"I have been an advocate and supporter of On My Feet since I first became aware of the program almost ten years ago and recognise the truly transformative outcomes it can achieve with people who are facing a variety of challenges and vulnerabilities."
"We acknowledge and applaud the efforts of your organisation, facing funding restraints and in challenging times, working tirelessly to create safe environments, foster dignity, and promote self-sufficiency for people facing homelessness."
"On My Feet has worked tirelessly within the City of Perth for almost a decade and has implemented innovative programs in the areas of exercise, education and employment which have had a remarkable impact on some of the City's most vulnerable people."
"What has struck me over the years is not only the passion with which the numerous volunteers go about their tasks, but the manner in which the team engages with both the local communities and businesses. It is run in a professional, conservative and businesslike manner."
"Connecting those in need of social and emotional support with the running community is a truly innovative way to provide that support and a wonderful structure on which to hang targeted services and programs. I urge anyone in a position to support On My Feet or partner with them to get involved."
"I have personally witnessed the amazing transformation of individuals on this program. One now lives independently and is back at work after a background of over 25 years on the street with alcohol and drug addictions. Another member, a 63-year-old with a background of severe domestic abuse, ran her first marathon in Sydney with On My Feet this year."
A powerful account of the real lived experiences of people experiencing homelessness in Australia — and the transformative power of movement, connection and hope. Co-authored by On My Feet founder Keegan Crage and award-winning Australian journalist David de Vos OAM. Across its stories, mental health emerges as the common thread — and a reminder of how early those struggles so often take root. Every purchase supports On My Feet programs.
"We aren't building champion athletes; we're building champion people."
— Homeless & Hopeful, On My Feet (2025)
