Kate Peck is 23 years old, and since coming to public prominence on Search For Supermodel, she’s had an impressive modeling career that has seen her pile up tear sheets, and walk almost every runway at RAFW and travels around the world. Peck has worked in Japan, New York and Paris but her next overseas adventure is a decidedly less glamorous one.

Today she’s kicked off a two month motorcycle journey across Africa, in support of Y-GAP, an Australian, youth driven charity that aims to combat third world poverty. 
Peck will be blogging about her journey and posting videos here, but before she kicked off her adventure, we decided to catch up with the model turned role model about her trip, and leaving fashion behind.

Can you tell us a bit about how Y-GAP and how you came to begin working with them?
I was first introduced to Elliot Costello at Y-Gap through a friend at Giant, my Melbourne modeling agency. She has known Elliot for quite some time and thought Y-Gap would be the perfect match for my trip!

When did you first start becoming engaged with environmental and poverty issues, and what was it that drew your attention to them?
My mother and step-father have recently returned from a trip to Sri Lanka. Whilst there they visited local orphanages and became inspired enough to start their own charity, 'Elephant White Linen'. They aim to improve primary school level education facilities in Sri Lanka, helping Sri Lankan children create a brighter future for themselves. This charity is still in the making but very close to getting off the ground.  Their work has in turn inspired me to get a wriggle on! The projects I will be visiting largely focus on helping women and children in serious need. I am keen to expose their struggle to encourage individuals and companies to dig deep and donate what they can.   I hope to make a difference in a world away from my own. 

How does your charity work fit in with your life as a model?
Pretty well as it turns out! I am extremely lucky within this industry, my contacts in the Melbourne, Sydney and the international fashion industry have all lent a hand in helping me to further this amazing opportunity as a Y-GAP ambassador.  In between my down-time during modeling and study, the next two months will be dedicated to visiting and documenting how the Y-GAP programs are progressing in South Africa and looking at ways to improve its initiatives.

What are you doing in preparation for your trip?
Injections. Bucket loads of them!  I am also reading about Y-GAP’s projects and talking to the team in Melbourne so the organisation can get the most from me and my safari.  I am also learning the art of packing light, REAL light.  My parents have written a list of the absolute MAXIMUM I am allowed to take, it MUST fit into a 45 litre Givi Top Box. That means only 1 of everything! 
Except...
- 2 pairs of undies!
- 2 pairs of socks, one thin, one thicker 
Their motto is  - 'wash one set, wear the other, anything else is too much!'. Lovely! There goes any beauty routine.
I'm also busy preparing for the projects I will be visiting. I need to know if I will need security, whether I can ride my motorcycle to the project location, what condition are the roads in, protocol for these communities. I need to also mentally prepare myself. I can only anticipate this trip will be an extremely confronting, inspiring and at times heart-breaking experience. I have a bumpy road ahead.

Can you share with us a bit about what you expect to encounter on your journey?
I'm looking forward to meeting the people Y-GAP is assisting and learning of their experiences, this will bring great joy and I think will also be confronting as some of their life experiences are horrific.  I know I will be blown away by the spirit of the people throughout South Africa, people who have so little yet have the biggest smiles.
I’m looking forward to the characters, different accents, cultures, dance, music, history. This will be a very personally enriching time, I just hope I can become enough of a sponge to absorb it all. I fear I have been bottle blond for far too long! 

What are some of the challenges you expect to face?
Without a doubt I am likely to face some emotionally challenging experiences during the trip due to the circumstances surrounding the people Y-GAP is supporting. Despite this it is the overarching goodness and positivity of people wiling to make sacrifices to help others that has inspired me to take on this journey. I’m confident that regardless what comes my way this will be a rewarding experience on many different levels. 
Physically I will definitely be challenged! I’ll be ridding a motorcycle too large for a 55kg female, and my legs are long but they’re not that strong!  I’m sure trying to survive without the everyday cosmopolitan luxuries in Melbourne that I have become so accustomed to might prove difficult at first, (Good bye speedy wifi… Hello dial up) however I think we could all do with a long break from facebook now and then!

What sorts of things do you think the fashion industry can do to support international aid programmes?
The fashion industry ia in a strong position to make a difference for international aid programmes. Both Kevin Murphy and motorcycle apparel brand Draggin Jeans are project partners for my trip. We are working together to spread the word about YGAP and its activities, brands like these have a major following and as a result offer a great opportunity to educate their consumers about these topics. I’m very thankful to have their support and willingness to get behind the project.
In addition, the fashion industry as a whole can make a world of difference when it comes to making the right choices about how and where they manufacture their garments. Working towards abolishing child slavery, sweatshops and tackling environmental sustainability are issues that could be dramatically affected if consumers and brands alike made the right choices. And this comes down to individuals and companies making a stand, having their voices heard and instigating change.

Is there anyone within the industry whose work in this area you particularly admire?
There are many great brands and identities within the fashion industry that get support and even found major charities word wide. One that particularly comes to mind in connection with my trip is Angela Missoni who is an active supporter of Orphan Aid Africa and has done a lot to raise awareness for the charity internationally.  Another is Osklen, a Brazilian label that uses sustainable production and eco-friendly fabrics throughout its collections.

Can you share one of your favourite modeling moments with us?
One moment that has stayed with me was a swimwear shoot I was modeling for in Japan. We were shooting in a butterfly house and the aim was to get as many butterflies on my body as possible. A rather interesting experience, I couldn't figure out if I was slightly mortified at having hundreds of bugs on me or if I was simply enjoying just how beautiful that many butterflies were.

What do you hope to have accomplished by the end of your journey?
It’s is my ambition that by the end of the journey I would have contributed to raising substantial awareness of the great work Y-GAP is doing and motivate other like minded young Australians to join in.  Individuals can make a difference and change the lives of people who through no fault of their own have no roof over their head, no money for food, clothing education or access to drinkable water.  
It is my intention to initiate new projects to support the charities I will have visited upon my return and am excited to continue working with the great team that have been involved in making this first leg of the journey a reality so far.