I'm not sure about this. I don't think moments in our lives necessarily make us strong, but they certainly become a part of your character and may lead you on a journey you never quite expected. For me, this has certainly been the case. The sad and horrible events that have happened during my life have very much defined my path and character.
As I neared the end of high school I had a keen interest in art and design. I felt my future laid in the world of fashion. In my final year, my cousin suddenly passed away. What an overwhelming, confusing and incredibly challenging thing for a 17 year-old to deal with. Lisa was the Fashion Editor at The Age Magazine and was a gentle, beautiful soul who I had always admired. For this reason, I felt it was my destiny to follow in her footsteps and I enrolled in a Fashion related course at RMIT.
I completed my Undergraduate and gained a range of diverse and useful skills, made some lovely friends and had lots of laughs. I went on study tours to China and Vietnam, and saw some amazing parts of the world.
Albeit an enjoyable experience, when I graduated I had no desire to work in the fashion industry. I decided I would focus on my horse riding and worked at a dressage stables while I waited for that desire to present itself.
Well, it never did.
My path to the world of nutrition and public health is set on sad foundations; however I have the most genuine appreciation for the importance of maintaining your health.
I believe that prevention is key. Every piece of food you put in your mouth can either avoid or promote disease. Every healthy habit you maintain will benefit you. I am so passionate about teaching people to love foods that nourish their body and to honour foods in their natural, whole state.
So what's the story...?
There were things going on in my family that were slowly increasing my awareness and interest in health and nutrition. The main event being that my dad was diagnosed with bowel cancer soon after Lisa passed away in 2008.
Dad worked in the money market and had experienced his fair share of stress throughout his life. Although he was a major "stresshead", he absolutely loved life! He had an incredible group of friends, enjoyed his job and loved going up to our farm with mum and our family.
Dad appeared pretty healthy, before, during and after his initial cancer diagnosis. He had developed a bit of a gut (which I often pointed out) but that was to be expected as he enjoyed very, very long lunches and had stopped exercising.
We were very close and spent a lot of time together as he was always my right-hand-man at horse competitions. He took me and my friends all over Australia to compete in a five-horse truck he decided we needed after spending two cold nights in a tent. I had one horse at the time, but he was more than happy to have room for my friend's horses and a few spare beds. He was the most generous and supportive person and I was so lucky to have him as my dad.
His treatment and diagnosis really didn’t affect things all that much. He had surgery to remove the cancer and was given an “insurance dose” of low grade chemotherapy, then life went on as if nothing had really happened.
I wondered later if we should’ve been more grateful and conscious about what we had experienced, and I still wonder if this story would exist if dad had made some lifestyle changes. But who knows...
When he reached his 5-year remission date he came home and proudly told me that the doctor had shook his hand and told him he was officially cancer free and in the clear. This was probably the first time I really started to think deeply about the issue. I asked how they could guarantee there was no cancer anywhere in his body… obviously dad couldn’t answer that – he was just so pleased to hear such positive news.
Long story short; nine months later, my now skinny, constantly coughing, dad was told his cancer was in his liver, lungs, brain and bowel. (No, Dad had never smoked).
While we endured this, our relatives (Lisa's immediate family) fought another batter. My cousin, Lisa’s sister, who was only four months older than me, was struggling with extreme weight issues and ongoing medical problems. No one seemed able to work out what was going on until someone finally found she had stage four bowel cancer.
My poor dear cousin struggled horribly for about two years. She was one of the strongest people I’ve ever known, and she was determined to nourish and nurture herself while enduring some horrific treatments that often made me feel like she was part of a science experiment.
Unfortunately they both lost their battles and it was heart breaking to see their bodies destroyed by the disease and treatments.
Our story makes my qualification so much more meaningful and important to me. Dad and Ali’s battle has made me incredibly determined to do my best to warn off disease and remain healthy for as long as possible. It is often the case that people start to care about their body when it is already too late - at least I have been lucky enough to learn the importance of this without having my body jeopardised.
So now this journey is in a new chapter. A chapter in which I hope to nourish and look after my body as best I can, and hopefully I can motivate others to do so as well. 💖
