Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
I’m obsessed with the colour pink. The majority of my clothes are pink, my entire backyard is full of pink pot plants, and every appliance in my kitchen is hot pink as well. It’s a colour that makes me happy. Give me a pink cupcake or a pink macaroon and watch my face light up.
What do you love the most about your volunteering?
I love being able to make a difference to my community and to where I live. Being able to help others gets me out of my own head and I learn something new every single time. I absolutely love living here, and being able to promote our amazing suburbs, local businesses, and community groups, in some small way is a wonderful feeling. I’ve volunteered in Casey and Cardinia for the past 15 years – reading to the elderly in local nursing homes, sitting on the board of a Community Bank, former president of a local resident group and then mentoring other new resident groups and helping them get started, and former president of the Casey MultiFaith Group for example.
If you were an animal, what animal would you be?
I’d be a Chihuahua. Because they are small (I’m not the tallest person in the world so I can relate) and fierce when they need to be. I’m still working on the fierce part.
What was your most memorable moment?
Realising that it’s never too late to be who you were meant to be and that everything I want is on the other side of fear. When you finally take a stand and realise that you do deserve to be happy, everything changes. I can pinpoint the exact moment that happened to me and use that memory to spur me on every single day. I also use this in my volunteer work with survivors of domestic violence and as a volunteer mental health first aider.
What were you like as a kid?
I read every book I could get my hands on and lived in the fantasy world they created, in order to get away from an abusive upbringing. I’m not backwards in coming forwards about my past because I’m proof that you are not defined by what has happened to you.
What event, past or present, would you like to witness?
That’s a hard one – so many amazing events in history. I think any event where mankind got together to change something for the better would be lovely. Imagine being present at the signing of a peace treaty, or the release of prisoners of war. That would be a moment you’d never forget. Mind you, watching something incredible like the Eiffel Tower or the Sydney Opera House being built too would be awesome.
What three words would your friends use to describe you?
Bubbly, eccentric, passionate.
What would you do on your perfect day off?
I’d go and spend the day in nature. One of my favourite things to do is pack a picnic and go for a long hike in one of our amazing parks with my partner. I can totally switch off and just be in the moment and no matter what I’m dealing with I can usually come back and revisit it with a much clearer mindset. If I can see an animal or two along the way (thinking of all the kangaroos at Lysterfield Lake) then that’s a bonus.
Where is your happy place?
I created a bucket list of adventures about 10 years ago for fun, but it ended up being the best thing I ever did. I now add to the list all the time and each fun, crazy, ‘out there’ thing I attempt makes me incredibly happy. From simple things like trying a new food or going to a fancy dress party, to taking a flying lesson, each experience has pushed or challenged me – and I love that feeling. When you’ve spent a lot of time convincing yourself you can’t do anything, only to find that guess what you actually can, it’s awesome. I have newfound confidence and skills I wouldn’t have had otherwise. All my friends give me vouchers for more adventures now, so it makes my birthdays easier for them too.
If you had to compete on MasterChef, what dish would you cook?
The biggest, pinkest, cupcake ever! Or a big pink macaroon! I love macaroons!
Where is your dream holiday destination?
I would love to go to Ireland to meet my partner’s family and some amazing friends I’ve made online there myself, just from researching various places to visit. The rolling green hills I see in movies would be awesome to run around on and explore.
