Together We Can
Run to Remember was the journey. Together We Can is the story it became.
Twenty years after the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, Peter Baines OAM returned to Thailand to run 1,400 kilometres in 26 days.
The run was called Run to Remember.
It was a journey across heat, fatigue, pain, doubt and purpose. But it was never only about running. It was about honouring the children, families and communities whose lives had been changed by the tsunami, and recognising the long road that had followed.
Together We Can is the story behind that journey.
This is a journey about resilience, purpose-led leadership, shared commitment and the belief that ordinary people, when united by something bigger than themselves, can create extraordinary impact.
Together We Can - The Story
Peter’s latest book, Together We Can, is not simply a book about running 1,400 kilometres across Thailand.
It is not just about blistered feet, tired legs, humidity, sacrifice or physical endurance, although all of that is part of the story.
At its heart, Together We Can is a deeply personal reflection on 20 years of Hands Across the Water, the charity Peter founded after the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami to support children and communities in Thailand.
Through the lens of the Run to Remember, Peter shares what it means to keep showing up long after the moment has passed. The book explores grief, service, responsibility, endurance, purpose and the power of people coming together around a shared commitment.
The run may have been completed by one man on foot, but it was never one man’s journey alone.
Behind every kilometre was a team. A crew. A community. The children and homes of Hands Across the Water. The supporters who had walked, ridden, donated, volunteered and believed for two decades.
Together We Can is a reminder that meaningful impact is rarely created in isolation. It is built through connection, sacrifice, trust and the decision to keep moving together.
From crisis response to long-term commitment
Peter Baines first travelled to Thailand after the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami as part of the international response effort.
What he encountered there changed the direction of his life.
Out of that experience came Hands Across the Water, a charity created to provide long-term support for children who had lost family, home and security. What began as a response to crisis became a lasting commitment to care, education, opportunity and a life of choice.
Together We Can tells part of that story.
It is a story of what happens after the headlines fade. After the emergency response ends. After the world moves on.
It asks what it really means to stay committed, to build something that lasts, and to lead with purpose when the road ahead is long.
About the Run to Remember
In 2024, Peter ran from Home Hug in Yasothon to Baan Tharn Namchai in Khao Lak, the home that became the beginning of Hands Across the Water.
Across 26 days, he covered 1,400 kilometres through Thailand.
There were days of pain, heat, injury, exhaustion and doubt. There were also moments of connection, humour, generosity and deep humanity.
The run became a physical expression of the message Peter now shares with audiences: resilience is not dramatic. It is deliberate.
It is built through the small decisions repeated over time. The choice to begin. The choice to continue. The choice to get up again. The choice to keep moving when the road ahead feels too long.
But the run also reinforced something Peter has known through two decades of Hands Across the Water.
Purpose is powerful, but purpose shared is stronger.
That is the heart of Together We Can.
Key themes in the book
Together We Can explores the themes that sit at the centre of Peter’s work as a leadership keynote speaker, author and founder of Hands Across the Water.
These include:
Purpose-led leadership
Resilience over time
The power of shared experience
Taking action before all the answers are clear
Doing hard things together
Building trust through commitment
Service, responsibility and contribution
The difference between intention and action
Creating impact that lasts beyond the moment
This is a book for leaders, teams, supporters, riders, runners, volunteers and anyone who believes that meaningful change is possible when people come together around a cause that matters.
Bring Together We Can to your audience
Peter’s keynote Together We Can brings the themes of the book to life for corporate, conference and leadership audiences.
Through raw, personal storytelling, Peter shares the lessons learned from building Hands Across the Water over 20 years and from running 1,400 kilometres across Thailand to honour the children, families and communities connected to that journey.
This keynote is not about charity alone.
It is about leadership, resilience, purpose, action and the power of shared commitment.
Peter challenges audiences to consider what happens when people stop waiting for permission, move beyond intention and choose to act. His stories are grounded in lived experience, not theory, and are delivered with humility, humour and emotional honesty.
Audiences leave with a deeper understanding of what it means to lead with purpose, stay committed when conditions are difficult and recognise the role they can play in something bigger than themselves.
Key messages from Together We Can
Peter’s keynote can be tailored to suit your audience, event theme and desired outcomes.
Key messages include:
Action will always beat intention
Progress begins when people move from what they care about to what they are prepared to do.
Purpose changes the challenge
When people connect to something bigger than themselves, adversity becomes more bearable and commitment becomes stronger.
Leaders bring the weather
The way leaders show up affects the people around them, especially when pressure is high or the path ahead is uncertain.
Together we can do more than we can alone
Shared purpose, trust and commitment create the conditions for people to achieve more than they believed possible.
Resilience is built over time
Resilience is not a single moment of mental toughness. It is built through repeated choices, discomfort, discipline and support.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Together We Can is a book by Peter Baines OAM inspired by his 1,400km Run to Remember across Thailand and the 20-year story of Hands Across the Water. It explores resilience, purpose, leadership, service and the power of people coming together to create lasting impact.
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Together We Can is the book and keynote message. Run to Remember was the event: Peter Baines’ 1,400km run across Thailand over 26 days to mark 20 years since the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami and honour the children, families and communities connected to Hands Across the Water.
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Run to Remember was Peter Baines’ 1,400km journey across Thailand in 26 days. The run marked 20 years since the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami and recognised the long-term work of Hands Across the Water in supporting children and communities in Thailand.
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Together We Can is about resilience, sacrifice, purpose and collective action. Through the lens of Run to Remember, Peter Baines reflects on two decades of service, leadership and transformation through Hands Across the Water.
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Together We Can is for leaders, teams, supporters of Hands Across the Water, readers interested in resilience and purpose, and anyone who believes ordinary people can create extraordinary impact when they work together.
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Yes. Together We Can can be purchased through the Peter Baines website. The page also provides access to a sample chapter and audiobook option.
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Yes. An audiobook version of Together We Can is available through the link on the Peter Baines website.
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Yes. Peter’s keynote inspired by Together We Can brings together stories from Run to Remember, Hands Across the Water and 20 years of leadership, resilience and purpose-led action. It is suitable for conferences, leadership events, corporate audiences and purpose-led organisations.
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Key messages include that action will always beat intention, leaders bring the weather, purpose changes the challenge, resilience is built over time, and meaningful impact is rarely created alone.
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Together We Can reflects on the 20-year journey of Hands Across the Water, the charity Peter Baines founded after the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami to support children and communities in Thailand.