Twelve months ago, on a surfing and camping weekend in Mexico, brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their friend Carter Rhoad tragically lost their lives in an act of unthinkable violence.
At the first anniversary of their passing, Martin and Debra Robinson, the heartbroken parents of Jake and Callum, are reflecting on the immense weight of their grief and acknowledge the beginnings of a remarkable global movement that has begun to bloom in memory of their sons.
"The ache is constant and the silence in our lives, deafening. But even in the depth of our sorrow, we've felt love wrap around us. We've been held up by family, by friends, and by complete strangers who never knew our boys but still carry their spirit forward. They've chosen to live like Jake and Callum did - with wide-open hearts, and an unshakable zest for life. This love has helped us immensely," said Martin and Debra.
From sun-soaked beaches in Australia and the US to lacrosse fields worldwide, the legacy of Jake and Callum' moves like a wave - powerful, lasting, and impossible to ignore. It reaches those who laughed beside them, and those who never got the chance, but feel changed by their story all the same.
In the months following their deaths, the Robinson family established the Callum and Jake Robinson Foundation. With the message to Live Bigger. Shine Brighter. Love Harder., The Foundation aims to reflect and amplify the way Jake and Callum lived their lives—through community, compassion, sport and care for the environment.
The foundations plan is to make the world a better place and in its first year, has begun with providing grants for three initial initiatives (more to follow) that align with Callum and Jake passions; supporting diabetic athletes, the promotion of lacrosse across the world and improving beach/ coastal ecosystems.
Over the past year, Martin and Debra Robinson have also opened hundreds of letters and watched countless videos—messages sent not just by friends or loved ones, but by strangers from across the globe. Children from schools in Australia and the United States. Families who never met Callum and Jake. People forever changed by the story of two brothers who lived with purpose and a giving spirit. In these messages, they've heard how Jake and Callum's lives - though tragically cut short - have inspired others to live differently, with more courage, more compassion, and more joy.
"Sometimes it's someone changing their lives and trying something new for the first time. Sometimes it's a friend choosing to help clean a beach. Sometimes it's just a parent holding their kids a little tighter," said Martin and Debra. "These small, beautiful gestures - that's their legacy. That's how our boys keep living."
As the world pauses today to remember Jake and Callum, the Robinson family invites people to:
