In this very motivational and inspiring episode(LISTEN TO THE EPISODE) Michelina talks about her journey of discovering herself and finding her own identity, about how she got into powerlifting after being a 3rd generation hockey player, and all the hard work behind the gold medals and World records. She holds multiple World records, World and National titles in Australia and New Zealand in powerlifting
She also talks about her amazing trips all over the world, walking with lions in Zimbabwe, nearly dying on a Nile cruise during her trip to Egypt and getting married in Las Vegas!
The word ‘Can’t” is not in her vocabulary and her motto “Don’t talk yourself out of doing things” helped her to become who she is now.
10 Facts About Michelina
(at the time of the project)
1. 46 years old.
2. Michelina was born in Marrickville, Sydney, but has lived in Wollongong since she was six months old when her family moved down there.
3. One of the most inspiring women who's had the biggest influence in her life, was her grandmother. Michelina has a sister who's younger than her, and she has an older stepbrother.
4. Michelina is married and has four fur babies, so they're her dogs who are the loves of her life. Next to her husband Peter.
5. Michelina traveled a lot - Asia, Africa, Europe, America, you name it. She walked with lions in Zimbabwe, nearly died on a Nile cruise during her trip to Egypt, and got married in Las Vegas!
6. Michelina works at Wollongong University, in risk management and business assurance, and internal audit. And she also works on the weekends behind the bar at one of the little local bowling clubs. She also personal trains a few clients on the side and squeezes her own training and lifestyle as well.
7. Michelina used to play hockey, and she was a third-generation hockey player. Her grandmother played hockey, and her mother played hockey, but after she had an injury and a plastic surgent had to reset her face, his advice was not to play contact sports anymore.
8. Soon after Michelina’s friend gave her advice to try powerlifting, she started her training. Now she holds multiple World records, World and National titles in Australia and New Zealand in powerlifting
9. Biggest challenge at this age – “Just the concept of getting older. I don't feel old. I'm a little bit fearful of the aging process. I don't want to be slowed down. I don't want to have Alzheimer's. So I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen. And keep my body and my mind as physically active as possible.”
10. Positive change with age – “Just embracing who I am. And being more aware of that. And I think not worrying so much about what other people think of me.. you get to that point - this is who I am, this is the person that I'm happy to be. And feeling strong in understanding your character, and the fact that ..all of your experiences have now made you to who you are, and the experiences moving forward will continue to drive you in that path.”
Watch Michelina's VIDEO interview HERE
LISTEN TO THE EPISODE:
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT (auto-generated):
How about you tell us a little bit about yourself.
So my name is Michelina Weatherall and I'm 46 years old, and I'm still dealing with the fact that I'm heading towards 50. I'm from Wollongong. I was actually born in Marrickville. But have lived in Wollongong since I was six months old when our family moved down there. And we sleeve two doors down from my grandmother who was one of my favourite people in the entire world. And probably one of the most inspiring women who's had the biggest influence in my life. So yeah, she was one tough cookie and that's sort of how I aspire to be in everything that I do. I have a sister who's younger than me, and I have an older stepbrother. I think I'm probably the most stable out of all of us, although my sister might just be that I have four fur babies, so they're my dogs which are the loves of my life. Next to my husband. So I have a two mini dachshunds crossed miniature foxes that are my little princesses. I have a little pug cross who is a little rescue dog. And we've just got a seven month old. She's a bit of everything. dog named Dottie she's Dalmatian cross Valara cross Kelpie cross Staffy, and I've also just taken into care a little deaf. I'm a foster carer for deaf dog. His name's Marilyn. So she's a little American stuffy. She's only just 12 weeks old. So yeah, have a have my hands full with that little tribe. And, and then I have my husband who I met in 2014. And, yeah, we got married in Las Vegas.
Oh, nice.
Yeah, as soon as his divorce came through. So I've been through two divorces, which was that of my parents. My mom and dad got divorced in 1990. And I also went through Peters divorce, but I've only had one marriage. So I'm most happy about that. And I'll only ever have one because yeah, I've done enough.
Yeah, he's you.
He is Yeah, it took us a while to me. And it's one of those things where you meet that person. And you've been to so many things before, but the timings never been right. And then all of a sudden, it just happens. And everyone needs to say that would happen, but I didn't quite believe it until it actually did. And then you get all right. So they really didn't know what they were talking about the older generation. So yeah, my I work a couple of jobs. So I work at Wollongong University, in risk management and business assurance and internal audit. And I also work on the weekends behind the bar at one of the little local clubs, little local bowling clubs and and then I also personal train a few clients on the side and, and squeezing my own training and lifestyle as well. So yeah, love to travel. I've travelled quite a bit around the world. Thank you to all of those men that broke up with me over the years because you are the reason I've had such global travel experience.
Break up what do I do?
Where do I go? Where do I go? I think one of the funny ones was I went through a bit of a nasty breakup and I couldn't get out of the country fast enough and I ended I'm doing a trip through Nepal travelling into India. So it's a combination of checking through the Annapurna ranges and rafting and doing this whole great experience in countries that I never ever thought I would get to, but that was the trip that was leaving as quick as possible. So I've got my Indian visa and, you know, checked off over there and had a stopover in Hong Kong waiting to catch the plane for Nepal and then realised I'd packed my swimmers and sarong when in actual fact, it was winter still in Nepal. Arriving in Kathmandu, my first trip was down to the markets to see how well I could bother down some warm clothing for myself to the mountain ranges. It was quite funny. So yeah, that was that was. That was a great start to the trip. But that was a fantastic trip. I absolutely loved Nepal, India with a different experience. I'm glad I've been there. My heart breaks for what's happening over there at the moment, but I can't say it's a country I'd get back to. Yeah.
So what's next for you?
What's next,
Now that you're happily married.. You have to really think through your travels. Right? They’re not so spur-of-the-moment
Yeah, I think, oh, no, I still like to be spur of the moment. And spontaneous The problem is I just drag Peter with me. Yeah. And as long as it's very far found someone that can look after the dogs, I'm more than happy to jump on a plane any time. I think what's next for us is we've gone through a real period of quite a few significant moments in our lives. So three years ago, we received a phone call at night, and it was letting us know that Peters mother had unexpectedly passed away. That same year, only not even six months later, my father passed away with Alzheimer's. And then we had a couple of years of battle with getting obviously Peters mother’s estate sorted out. And so that was a real learning experience and a fair bit of stress. In between that we were still travelling overseas and competing and trying to sort of keep our lives going as much as we could. At the same time my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and ended up we had to sell like my childhood home, which was my grandmother's so that mom could go into the Alzheimer's care facility. So managed to get all that done. And, and then in 2019, we're just when we thought we were sort of coming out of that period, we were over in Long Beach, California, and we competed in powerlifting meet at the fitness Expo, they're called Old Dogs. And we had a great conference was amazing trip, came away with a spike of metals. And and two weeks later, Peter walked into the bedroom at three o'clock in the morning and said, I'm not feeling really well, I need to go to the hospital. And he was then having a quadruple bypass. So we've gone through a real stage of rehab and can't wait to get back to competing with that. But it certainly makes you look at life a little bit differently, especially when someone so dear to you, you know has something that you have to stay focused and you have to stay positive. And you know, in between all that I've still got mommy in aged care and and then at the start of this year, she fell and broke her hip, and we lost her back on the first of March. So I guess the last three years has really been a learning experience too. It has been hard, but it's, it's how I feel it's like and I think we appreciate it a little bit more. Because what you realise is that you spend a lot of time worrying about things, whereas you need to just keep on living. And my mom probably was one of those people that she would always put obstacles in front of herself before she did them. And then she would talk herself out of things. So she always wanted to go to Italy, but she never got there. I went to Italy, I went to the Vatican. And when I said to her I was lifting she didn't really understand what powerlifting was it was are you be careful. And every time I said to her, I'm going to go here or I'm travelling to Africa or I'm going to Egypt she Oh no, don't go You can't go You can't do that. So that word can't is is something that's just not in my vocabulary because I would rather have a go and not succeed then go through wondering what if, and I think that moving through, we've just had such a tumultuous tumultuous period, and and then add COVID into the mix as well. It's really been a time of let's stop, Refresh and Reset and now move forward. So the world's our oyster, who knows what's gonna open up, you know, the next door, the next door and the next chapter to Alpha children's. So I know it definitely is not that. But there's still plenty room for more animals, although I think we have a rule in our house, I always said to Peter, if he wanted to divorce me or break up with me bring an iron into the house. And he said, if the same thing will happen to me if I bring another dog into the house, and all of a sudden we've got a foster fair baby, he's still with me.
We might remind him of that. But yeah, I think it's really, yeah, who knows what's going to be there. But whatever opportunity comes up, just take it and run with it. So we're looking at the New Zealand travel, but travel bubble has opened. So hopefully, we'll get to travel to New Zealand. Hopefully, we'll get to do a few competitions this year and get paid back on the platform after his surgery. And now that he's been recovering, since it was the ninth of November, and 20 19/9 of December. Sorry, 2019. So yeah, but he's back lifting and we've been training all through COVID. So yeah, it's we've got a purpose built garage in our backyard. So we had no excuses not to keep active cheering COVID
How did she get into powerlifting?
I used to play hockey, and I was a third generation hockey player. My grandmother played hockey, my mother played hockey and, and I seem to agree to playing hockey one drunken evening. And I rocked up with my little stick and shin pads to a game and I said What am I supposed to do? And the coach said, See that girl running? And I'm like, Yes. And she said, that's going to be you in a minute. And I thought, Oh God, I'm going to die. no training, no idea what I was doing. Yeah, it just ran ended up quite hooked on hockey. I met some fantastic people. But it was the ninth of December actually 2014. For me. We're playing into hockey and I came off second best to a hockey ball. So the ball smashed my face on the left hand side and had it gone five millimetres one way I would have lost my eye completely. And five millimetres the other way I would have ended up like Phil Hughes and not being here today. So I found a fantastic facial surgeon maxillofacial surgeon here in Sydney. And he reset my face. He was supposed to make me look like Claudia Schiffer at the same time. But you know, I guess the fact I can still see was a real bone. And, yeah, so then under his advice, it was don't play contact sports anymore. So I sort of went into a really dark hole, because I'd always been sporty and always been athletic.
And that's what your grandmother played. Yeah, it was your thing.
It was my thing. It was really a little niche. And I love the social network of it. I was working for mining, manufacturing companies, that project manager at the time and travelling around a lot. And one of the guys in the office saw me sinking, like literally thinking and I was going in a dark hole. And he said to me, why don't you go and start doing some some lifting. And I looked at him and laughed and said, I can't do that. He said yes, you can go and go and do some lifting. Go and see my friend. And I said to him, Look, I've been to gyms in Wollongong. And honestly, I felt worse about myself when I left some of those places that when I first walked in, it was just pretentious, and, you know, the personal trainers or weren't listening to what I was saying and, and I felt really useless and hopeless. So I was a little bit scared of my work colleague given they used to call him the beast and he was a former strong man in his day or third in the world, I do believe. So I went and visited this rustic workshop. So it was set up with a little gym at the side of a fabrication workshop and the people in there were it was very different to any other gym. But for some reason I thought this is where I need to be. So I remember having the conversation to Peter and he said, What do you want to achieve? And I said I just want to look better than I do and feel good about myself again like it was a really simple objective, lose lose weight, feel better about myself and get my mojo back a little bit after the facial injury so he said well come back tomorrow so how much work the next day very proud of myself home ology. Back and and my work colleague the best said, said, How'd you go? And I said, Yes, I'm starting tomorrow. And in his very limited vocabulary, when he was pleased with something, he said, very good. And that was it. So I went in, and one of the most amazing women that was training, there is now one of my dearest friends. And she'd survived a brain aneurysm. And she had, she also has three plates in her back and had been trained to be New South Wales, and Queensland under 75, strong woman of the year. So for me, I wanted to be strong like her, I just decided this woman has so much power, and so much inner strength. And that's what I want to be like. Now, I don't want to feel like this broken record that that has walked into this store, I never want to feel like that again. So I started training, and I started really enjoying it. And every day I'd leave work and, and go and train. And I was pretty crap, like,
I still remember paid his face when he did my first assessments on my squat and bench and we got to deadlift, and I think it was the deadlift that gave him some hope, when I was able to lift 80 kilos of the ground and didn't look completely ridiculous in the way I was doing it. So then I went with them to a comp, there was a little crew, and they were all competing. And that was really exciting, because it was exposing me to something that was so different, and a whole different sports field and seeing sort of how much you go any lift on the platform, but it's actually team that gets you there. And it's the team that's running that's wrapping your knees that's putting talcum powder on your backside, that's getting your water and your lollies putting in your numbers. So I said to Peter after that, because the team had qualified to go to Queensland nationals, and I said, I'll come and help like, I'm more than happy to come up and feel like part of the team. And about four weeks out of it. He said, Just letting you know you're competing, and I'm doing what? I'm not ready. And he goes, No, we're just putting you in the deadlift only, and, and come up and compete. And it was next level. And I had never felt such an adrenaline rushes that like I was shaking when I first went up to the platform. And on my first attempt, I broke two world records into Australian records in my deadlift. And I lifted 130 kilos, which I'd failed in the gym a couple of times. And I finally got it on the platform. And I was so excited. I was so hooked. And by then him and I had formed a really strong bond and a really strong friendship and a relationship together. And, and yeah, and then after that he was we were talking one day, and he was saying how he always wanted to go to Vegas for world titles. And me being me, I'm not one of those people that talks about things, I go and book them so nice that he was booked to do world titles. And I signed up as well thinking I was this superduper lift, huge star gonna change the lifting world. And when I got over there in world titles, I found out just how much of a novice athlete I was. And I had a lot of learning to do because I went over and I had sponsors and I had all these people I was gonna make so proud of me. And I tore a callus and couldn't hold the bar properly. So and he got one lift out of three. And I was devastated. And I think it was one of my most humiliating moments where I was just sitting crying in the middle of this major world titles. And there was a beautiful woman who was an experienced lifter came up and she grabbed hold of me so I could get on the platform and get my lifts. And she shook me. And she said there is no crying in lifting. And then a couple years later, when I was over competing at another world titles, I actually won Best lifter against this lady and she was one of the first ones to congratulate me. So I was so proud to be on the platform with her. But yeah, these are the people that you meet and the personalities that made and then so we came back from Vegas, and then Peter had torn his quads. So he didn't have the best meat either. But we came back from Vegas. And then I think it was a couple of weeks later, we competed at world titles in Sydney. And I got to meet some of the most amazing lifters on the planet. Like you know, some of these big guys are just gentle giants, you know, really, but their strength and power. I don't know. It just makes you feel really good to be around and makes you feel strong and powerful. So yeah, so I've been hooked ever since then. Interesting journey. So I never take anything for granted. And I always say to any person starting out, in lifting that the bar will humble you just when you think that you've beaten it will We'll just bring you down to size.
Yes. Yeah. It's very inspirational. Would you say that is your that what you're most passionate about? Is there anything else that you most passionate about powerlifting or travelling or just life in general or anything else?
I think I'm just passionate about life and living it to the fullest. I think the lifting forms part of that, because I think what I find is that I hope that I can inspire, inspire other women to take a step forward and overcome their fears. Like I have had to do in the past, and now includes a fear of flying, you know, you travel all over the world, but you have a fear of flying. It doesn't quite make sense. But I think that, yeah, just we are our own worst critics. And I think that particularly when it comes to the way that we see our body image, we spent too much time comparing it to other women. And we don't take a look and own it ourselves. And and even I've had clients that come and say, Oh, I've put on weight, or I've done this, or I've done that, okay, well, that's what's happened in the past, how do we move forward in the future? How do we take you on your journey, and it's not about the scars is about what makes you feel good about yourself. So lifting, when I'm lifting, and I'm feeling strong, and my physiques on track, I feel strong and empowered, and carry that into my workday, and every other aspect of my life. And I think that if I can bring my passion and inspire other women to feel the same about themselves, then that's a really good thing to do. Because a lot of the women that I meet in lifting are doing that for me every single day. So, and as I'm getting older, I'm finding that some of the most powerful and the strongest women that I've met in the world are over 45. And they're out there setting records and, and I'm doing my damnedest to try and chase them down. So you know, but these women are have all got stories, or they've all got journeys. In the US, there's just some amazing women who have, you know, been in the military have, or have had experiences where they've had a lot of things happen in their life. I've met women that have come from from being drug addicts, and then lifting has sort of helped brought them out of that and replace that addiction. Same for men as well. But I think that when you find that community, and you have that feeling of belonging, and it's a positive thing in your life, that's what makes me passionate about moving forward. I don't have time for negativity, I don't have time for toxicity. And I think that too many people spend more time hanging on to that, than just letting it go and moving on.
So that's changing that rather than just thinking about what's happened or what they missed out on.
That's right. And dwelling on the past. You can't do anything about the past. It's how you move forward in the future. So even you know, losing Mum, it's it was gut wrenching. It was heartbreaking, but there's no use me sitting around dwelling about that. Because at some point, I'm going to be in the ground next to her. I don't want that to be anytime soon. So my tribute to her is getting on and living my life to the fullest so that she'll be wherever she is. She's going to be proud of whatever I'm doing. So yeah,
it's not your time yet. So you need to keep leaving. And that's what your mom
that's right. And I've had a couple of close calls. So I do think I've been account, you know, in a past life. So I did have a close call in Egypt where I thought I was coming home in a body bag. And that was when we discovered how bad my allergic reaction is to seafood.
See, you had to find that out, overseas,
cruising the Nile farm land on one side, desert on the other. And I had a small piece of what I thought was just a pizza and had to you know, at some kind of Egyptian tuner on it, and I instantly started to react. And honestly, if there was a whole thing's when you go, that wasn't my time. So our guide, Ahmed had a friend who was a doctor. So he phoned him to say, what do we do? We were coming up to a town that was an unscheduled stop but the boat captain organised to stop there and have a taxi waiting for Ahmed to go to the pharmacy where his doctor friend had phoned through and told them what he needed to get. On our trip. There was a lady who on our tour group, a lady who was actually a nurse who administered whatever was in the green vial, the red followed the yellow to a ginormous host needle in my backside. And it worked. So you know, 15 minutes later So 15 minutes before and before the needle, I was at the point where I was losing consciousness. And the thing that I remember was I was sitting outside on a banana chair because I said I wasn't going to die in a Tim Kaine room, I wanted to see the sun. And one of the other the members of the tour group were running, getting ice packs to try and help counter the swelling around my neck, and I was going in and out of consciousness. And there was one chap on our tour, Tony, he had hold of my hand. And I remember as I'd sort of laps out and come back, I was just listening for his voice and trying to feel his hand like squeezing his hand. And he was just talking to me the whole time. And, and it was pretty scary. But I thought, well, you know, if I'm going to go, this isn't a bad way, floating down the NARS a bit of a travel story that I won't be there to tell. But yeah, you know, after the giant horse needle, I remember saying to Ahmed, couldn't you get something small? It was a needle. Time to think. And yeah, and then we all went for coffee about 15 minutes later, just to come down and let the adrenaline settles.
You almost you're on your deathbed, and you're worried about big needle.
Yeah. Trust me, it was a massive needle. It was huge. And even Angela, who was the newest on our tour, she goes, Oh, wow. Oh my God, just stick it in. That's right. And we've in from that trip, I had some amazing relationships and friendships. So one of them was Mike, he ended up being my roomie Clinton. And I really want to make special mention of him because his, his grandmother and him came to my very first powerlifting comp, and Nana sat through and watched me lift like, it was really cool. So that's sort of the bond that was formed from that, you know, near death experience. You know, I'm sure a lot of other people have worse than me. But yeah, that was a that was definitely an adventure, although forget. Carry the epi pens at all times. Oh, wow.
So with everyone knows that with age, we change, but what positive changes have you experienced with this age now?
Positive changes, some might say they're negative. But now I think really positive, just embracing who I am. And being more aware of that. And I think not worrying so much about what other people think of me, I think when you get to that point where you go, you know what this is who I am, this is the person that I'm happy to be. And feeling strong in understanding your character, and the fact that you have formed as a result of everything that you've learned to brought with you. And all of all of your experiences have now made you to who you are, and the experiences moving forward will continue to drive you in that path. I think that's really, you know, the positive change, I think, back when I was 28, you know, through my 30s. That was my period of self discovery. So I came out of a seven year relationship that was really my longest and first and that all ended up really badly. And after that, I had a trip my first trip to Africa, where I went to Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. And that was my journey of discovering who I was because part of the thing that I realised it happened in that seven years was I become known with that person with my partner, I didn't I'd lost my own identity. So when I came out of that I found my identity, I found my independence. I think one of my other girlfriends had come out of a 10 year relationship around the same time. So I think we were leaving the script of Sex in the City as they were writing it. But I think that that was our finding out who we were and working out our identity and then carrying that forward. So for me, it was a matter of realising that I was okay. And then I went into another relationship. And I remember that one entity. And the guy said to me, oh, you know, this could be good for you. You might be able to buy yourself a little unit and I looked at him and at that time I had three dogs and I said I've got three dogs now I'm buying myself a damn house with a ginormous backyard because he didn't have one. And and so yeah, and then I did I spent 12 months looking I moved back home with mom and my dogs and spent 12 months looking and found my own place and just establish my independence little very Scarlett O'Hara of me from you know, Gone With the Wind. I will never be homeless again. I worked out I never wanted to be revisiting that and tomorrow is another day and I I just, I didn't want to ever be reliant on a man. So I really focused on myself my professional career. And and then I decided that whoever came into my life if so I got to the point where I was happy with my life, and I, and then I met rich, aka Peter, I think he knocked me off my feet rather than swept me off my feet, but no, so and I sort of thought, Well, whoever comes into my life now has to fit in with that, and has to complement that it's not me adjusting and adapting. Because I've now worked out who I am, and I'm not ready to surrender that. So, you know, I will still accommodate every now and then he's an alpha male, and I'm an alpha female. So I think halfway down the street, they'll hear us if we're having an argument, but by the same time, somehow we work and and I think it's just because we do have our own independence. And we do have our own identity. So yeah,
you know, perfect match. Even if you do disagree, it needs still, you know, it still works.
It still works somehow. He says, I drive him crazy, but he loves you. So I'll take that. It works.
So what is the biggest challenge you're experiencing at this age? Now? If you can think of any,
Just the concept of getting older? I don't feel old. And I don't. I don't, I don't think I act. I'm probably a little bit more cautious than I used to be about I think eating seafood. No eating seafood. Lover prone. But I think it's more. Yeah, I think I'm not looking forward to menopause. I'm just hearing so many horrible things about that. But I plan to take that on head head on. The doctor the other week has told me I have to go for my first mammogram because I was nearing that age. And I was quite offended by that. That phrase where I was like, I'm 46. I'm not 50 yet, you know, but then at the same token, I'm excited as well. Because I also see so many women that are over the age of 50 over the age of 45 that are still doing everything, you know, that I'm doing. And there's no there's no stopping them. And I intend to as much as it's one of those things that that I'm a little bit fearful of in the ageing process. I don't want to be slowed down. I don't want to have Alzheimer's. So I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen. And keep my body and my mind as physically active as possible. So yeah, because if it does happen, well, that's going to be one hell of a ride. God help the nursing home.
Describe your greatest accomplishment.
Surviving 46, I think is a really big accomplishment. I mean, there's no many times so many times that I've looked back and go and thank God Facebook wasn't around when I was going through those wild days. I think my greatest accomplishment. I don't think there's any one thing I was really proud of myself when I put myself through university and I finished that. And that took me a little bit of time. I was so proud of myself when I bought my house and lived on two minute noodles for a few months. But hey, I made it through in house in my own house two minute noodles in my own house. I like to paint and do home renovations. So that was something different bindings was your favourite band, which was a very favourite shopping took a lot of money. And I also think, like the amount of places that I've saved and worked and been able to travel. Like, nothing has come easy. And I think I've always felt like sometimes I'm running behind everyone else. You know, it's like it took me until I was 35 before I bought my own house, whereas a lot of other people seem to have it already. It took me until I was, you know, 2829 to travel the world whereas a lot of people started still you've travelled Yeah, and I've done it. Yeah. And then I think just just being a good person. And that's what I hope to be and hope to always be I'm a real animal lover. So obviously going to Africa was a real bucket list thing. And particularly going to Uganda that was a real dream to meet them out. I'm gorillas. And that was the most amazing experience that I've ever had not just the actual seeing the gorillas, but the whole trip out through the jungle. And, you know, you sort of look back and go, Wow, I can't believe I did that. That was that was mental. What was I thinking? You know, it's great walking with lions in Zimbabwe and doing those kinds of things. Should you just sort of look back and go, yeah, they, they're huge accomplishments. So I don't think there's any one thing I think conquering the mining industry to extend was a really interesting thing to do, where I, I went in and set up a project management office and, and then I was a mining project manager. So actually, you know, whereabouts here, here. But yeah, we had clients in Queensland and in all over the state, and taking the clients over overseas was interesting as well. So that was really being a female in a male dominated industry. And, and that was a huge experience. And I was there in the company I worked for, I was the first female project manager, and I was the first female non engineering project manager. So that was a really big accomplishment, because I really fought hard for that. And I think now, yeah, anything you haven't done? I'm sure there is there's plenty they haven't achieved world peace. Snakes, no. I mean, I just think I'm just simple. I'm just a normal person. But just like I said, you have opportunities, and you just don't pat them and see where they take us. So, you know, if you said to me, what do I want to be when I grow up? I really have no idea. Although now I'm more tending to answer that question and say, retired. Yeah.
What advice would you give your 30 year old self?
Ah, what advice, just do everything, don't hold back, and don't talk yourself out of doing things and don't let other people talk you out of doing things that you want to do. Looking back, I'm happy that I didn't do that. But I see a lot of people that do do that. And I think particularly with social media, and the influences of social media, and social media influence influences themselves, tend to sort of make it harder for people to just embrace who they are, and making the most of the opportunities that come forward for them. Because I think that they talk themselves out of it, because they think, Oh, I can't do that, or I'm not so and so they're not doing that. So I'm not going to do that. You compare too much. And you know, I like things, just keep things simple, and keep it real, and just don't get caught up in that. Just go out there and find out who you are, and live it and own it and, and be responsible. And if you mess up you go, Okay, I made a bad decision. That's, you know, I know and move forward. Just don't dwell in the past. And I think that's really important. And I think that's really important for women and men, no matter what age group
What advice would you give younger women who will eventually undergo this change?
Stay young. Hold on to your youth, they really are the best use of your life. To young women, I guess I really would say that, yeah, look, seize the day. And, and, and, you know, look at who influences you who you want to, you know, who inspires you and and use those to help guide you on your path. Don't fall under media pressures, social media pressures and peer pressure. And as much as they say things happen with, you know, like, primary school students and things like that. I also see a lot of cyber bullying happening on social media with younger women. And I also see that happening with older women as well. And I think that it's a matter of two younger women, I would say support each other, and help raise people up, don't put them down. And what I tend to find is people will put you down because they're not happy with their own life choices. So you need to look and go, Okay, well, that's fine. They've obviously got something happening, but that's got nothing to do with me. So where am I at in my life? And where do I want to be? And how do I get there and surround yourself with those people that are going to embrace you on your journey and guide you in the right direction? Anyone else? Get rid of them out of your life? Just remove all that toxicity? And I think that that's the best advice I can give for younger women are and start lifting because it's free. Really cool.
I think you've kind of touched on that as well. But what do you where do you think the idea of a perfect body image comes from?
I think it comes from the media in terms of what it perpetuates. But if you actually look at historically over time, that actually changes. And, you know, I was watching a show, I can't remember what it was, but it was actually showing sort of their female physique over time and looking at, you know, what was considered beautiful in the 1950s, the 1960s, the 1970s, the 80s, and 90s, we moved into stick figures that caused a whole creation of, you know, eating disorders that are coming out. Now we're moving into sort of what I see. And being in the fitness industry where everyone wants abs, you know, what, I don't have ABS, the only way my ads show up is if I cut weight, and drain my whole body of water, and then you might see one or two of them, I'm not a person with six pack abs, I'm never going to have one and they don't define who I am. So if I see a picture of someone, you know, showing their abs, I let them go. He goes another one, you know, it's not unique, it's not different. Everyone's got them. Some of us, they're just hidden in different ways. So I think that, that understanding sort of what your body image is for yourself to feel good is really important, and not what others tell you to feel. I had a experience where I went in with a little clothing shopping mall, and Gong, and they did a bit of a pinup shoot with me. And that was really unique, because it was clothing, I never would have put on hairstyles I never would have done. But going through some of mom's old photos, she thought she was such a beautiful woman and look at the clothing. You don't have to be bare naked and have your butt hanging out and whatnot to be beautiful. You can look gorgeous in an amazing dress. And you can walk in and own a room. So I think that, yeah, the perfect body image, there is no such thing as what's perfect for you. And everyone's different. And it depends. And and I think that the media need to take a good look at what they're they're perpetuating, because it's not healthy for a lot of women.
That's right. That's right. That's what kids watch as well.
I do. I did a seminar to a heap of gods, young go gods. And I was absolutely astounded when I said to them, you know, who thinks that they're overweight? And every single one of the 20 put their hand up? And I said, Why do you think that and it was always because someone told me or I saw on Instagram. And I was just like, Well, none of you are overweight, there was not a single one. They're overweight and overweight, and BMI is all. It's all scales and numbers. And you know, according to BMI, I'm overweight, but I'm not. So I think you go by, you know, for me, my test is what clothing I like to wear what but I feel looks good. I don't judge it on anything else. And I think that that's where we're getting really wrong. And we're moving into a whole different phase of eating disorders, particularly for women where I see women going out spending fortunes on fat burners and supplements, and we don't know what those chemicals are going to do to body. Just stop, buy pare of joggers take your dog for a walk. Just eat general healthy foods,
drink of fresh freshly squeezed juice.
Yeah, drink water. It's one of the worst things that we do. We don't drink enough water. So yeah, and fuel your body. Don't not fuel it, because you wouldn't not put fuel in your car to drive it. So you want your body to function you need to put fuel in and carbs are not bad for you. So yeah.
Inspirational Speaker. I am inspired. You also touched on that, but if you have sort of any additional thoughts, what does it mean to you feeling good and looking good? What do you think comes first?
Feeling good? Feeling good. Because with everything that you do, I always think it's 80 to 90% is his mindset. And it's your mindset that will carry you through in every activity that you do in your life. So you know, you wake up and you're tired and you feel a bit blah And and so you put on the Daggy clothes you put on the outfit you don't put on the makeup you don't you know you don't go to that effort and then you feel more blah. And you actually, you know, you carry that into your day. Whereas you wake up you get up you you bounce off the ground, you have a nice cover. I don't really usually do hair and makeup for work. So I can't say do that. But if I've got a big meeting I do I grab that suit that's going to empower me I grabbed that suit that's going to give me confidence. I do my hair. I do my makeup and I'll walk into the room feeling confident, and then I own it. But that hasn't started with the outfit that started with how I've got up that morning going. I want to feel this way when I walk into this room. Yeah. So yeah, I think mindset. And I think that if you're struggling with mindset, then it's good to go and talk to someone that can put you in that right path. So I, I actually work with a sports hypnotherapist because I have broken my arm squatting a week out of four titles in 2015. And so squatting for me is a leaf that I can do it, that my mind is like my biggest challenge. So I work with that great sports hypnotherapist who helps me overcome that, because I recognise that that was something that was hindering my performance. So I won't say I will ever love squats. But yeah, there is nothing funny about snapping your humerus bone, let me tell you, it's one of life's little ironies. But yet, mind 100% Feeling good, will help you look good. You can look good, but still feel like crap,
exactly. What makes you feel the most beautiful.
When I'm walking around the bright lights of Vegas what makes me feel beautiful is being surrounded by beautiful people. And I don't hold beauty as in the physical appearance, I hold beauty as in the people that are around you, you can have some of the most beautiful looking people that are the most ugliest people on the inside. And, you know, so how you look does not actually reflect how you are beautiful to me is that waking up in the morning to that beautiful long lick from the dog, you know, is that in a sense, it's that you know, that special, see your joy, and it's genuine, you know, fake is not beautiful. So, so for me, surrounding myself with people that I feel are beautiful, because that's who they are. And they carry the same values as what I do. That makes me feel great. That's how they make you feel. Yeah, exactly. I carry that and I hope that I can reciprocate that as well. And
What is your favourite quote about being a woman?
Favourite quote. So when I thought about that I couldn't really come up with any one thing in particular. You know, there's there's all the usual ones I am woman hear me roar. You know, I think that yeah, there's, there's no one in particular that I can really nail down. I think just being a woman just being yourself just recognising who you are. Leave it and yeah, own your identity. Leave your identity and don't leave other people's lives is the biggest one. Yeah, yeah. Because I mean, and again, it's why you spend so much time looking at what everyone else is doing as time you're wasting doing things yourself. So you know, live your life and live it to the fullest and no regrets.
Inspirational Speaker, you know, you really do need to start, you know, doing your due to, even if you just start small or, you know, just on social media or something doesn't matter. You are great. I had goosebumps a few times a few times, honestly. And it's just, it's it flows smoothly. I could listen to you speak all day long. Honestly,
I could talk underwater.
Thank you. So thank you so much for sharing your story and your inspirational wisdom and quiz and everything. It's been. It's been great. Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you.
It's just amazing.
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