MY JOURNEY

My passion for health and wellbeing began very early in life.

When I was just seven years old, my mother died at the age of 30 after a two-and-a-half-year journey with stomach cancer.

Losing my mother so young profoundly shaped the way I viewed life. It taught me not to take life for granted and instilled in me a desire to put the odds in my favour by looking after my health and making the most of the life I had been given.

For many years, I considered myself “health conscious”. But over time, I came to realise that being health conscious and being nutritionally balanced are not necessarily the same thing.

In my twenties, a lack of adequate protein contributed to hypoglycaemic symptoms, and in my thirties I experienced difficulties falling pregnant. My sleep patterns were inconsistent, I found it difficult to relax and I began to recognise that true wellbeing required a much more integrated approach.

This became the beginning of a personal journey of learning — exploring nutrition, movement, sleep, relaxation and other lifestyle practices, while developing a deeper understanding of what my own body needed to thrive.

One part of that journey led me to have a bone mineral density scan.

At 55, both my GP and I were shocked by the result: osteoporosis. It was a significant wake-up call.

Despite having been active and health conscious for many years, I realised there was much more I could learn about nourishing and strengthening my body, particularly as I moved through midlife and menopause.

Rather than simply accepting the diagnosis or assuming that declining health was an inevitable part of getting older, I chose to focus on what I could influence.

Since my mid-forties, I had already been committed to regular resistance and strength training, together with walking and jogging. I became even more intentional about these foundations, while placing greater emphasis on quality nutrition — including adequate protein and calcium — as well as sleep, relaxation and supporting healthy digestion and nutrient absorption.

These changes became part of a sustainable way of living rather than a short-term program or quick fix.

And I experienced the difference!

I have continued to prioritise strength, movement, nourishment, rest and recovery, and these foundations have helped me navigate peri-menopause and post-menopause with minimal symptoms while maintaining my strength and vitality.

But my journey was not only about my physical health.

It was also a journey of the soul.

Losing my mother at such a young age left me carrying the profound “why?” of her death for many years. Alongside my physical and nutritional journey, I found myself seeking peace, healing and wholeness.

My faith became an important part of that journey — learning to trust, to let go, and to let God.

I came to understand wellbeing in a much broader sense: not simply as the absence of illness, but as caring for the whole person: body, mind and spirit.

This has profoundly influenced the way I approach health and ageing.

I no longer believe we have to simply accept the “status quo” of what midlife, menopause or ageing are supposed to look like.

While we cannot control everything that happens to us, there is much we can influence through the choices we make, the way we care for ourselves and the perspective with which we approach each season of life.

My own experience ultimately led me to formalise my knowledge and passion through a Diploma of Holistic Wellness Coaching and a Professional Certificate in Nutrition.

Today, as a Certified Health Coach, I come alongside women in midlife to help them understand their changing needs, make informed choices and create sustainable lifestyle practices that support the life they want to live.

I believe we are not simply here to add years to our lives.

We are here to live those years with vitality, strength, purpose, gratitude and joy!