When 13-year-old Alice set off on her bike ride home from school, she never imagined she would become a hero that afternoon. But when she noticed a man on a scooter swerving and crashing to the ground, Alice’s instincts and first aid training kicked in, and her actions may have saved his life.

“I saw him fall, and when I got closer, he was on the ground with blood underneath his head,” Alice recalls quietly. “There was a woman nearby, but she was frozen in shock. I knew I had to do something.”

In that moment, Alice didn’t hesitate. She grabbed her school sweater from her bag, wrapped it around the back of the man’s head, and applied pressure to stop the bleeding. “All that was going through my mind was, I’ve learnt this, I know this, I need to put it into action,” she says. “So, I did, and thankfully he’s alive today.”

Alice’s calm thinking and quick response brought stability to a chaotic scene. For someone so young, her composure was remarkable. But Alice is humble about her actions. “Knowing that you’ve helped someone, and that they’re out there living their life because you did something… it’s a really nice feeling,” she admits, her voice soft with emotion.

Her courage and compassion have not gone unnoticed. Alice was recognised as one of St John Ambulance Victoria’s 2025 First Aid Champions, an honour she accepted with shyness and humility. On stage, she was nervous, but the applause she received reflected the admiration of everyone in the room.

Alice is a member of the Australian Army Cadets program, where she first learnt the skills she needed that day. But her story is a reminder to all of us: emergencies can happen anywhere, anytime, and knowing first aid can mean the difference between life and death.

At just 13 years old, Alice has shown that being first aid ready isn’t about age, strength, or confidence. It’s about having the knowledge, the willingness to act, and the courage to step forward when others freeze.

“First aid is important because in a crowd, when something happens, you’ll know what to do,” Alice says. “It’s emotional, but it’s worth it.”

Alice’s story is proof that anyone, even a young schoolgirl riding home on her bike, can be the reason someone survives. And it’s a powerful reminder of why learning first aid is one of the most valuable skills any of us can have.