About
From the school fence to the summit of Everest.
From the school fence to the summit of Everest.
Since I was a little girl, I've loved stories of mountaineers and adventurers, and dreamed of climbing mountains myself. But those adventures always felt like they belonged to other people, not someone like me.
I was a bright student, but school was challenging for reasons that had nothing to do with my academic ability.
I was bullied so badly in primary school that I was once padlocked to the front fence. My confidence suffered, and I eventually left school before completing Year 12.
Discovering the outdoors changed something. I went back and completed Year 12 through technical education. Out in the bush, I slowly found my feet, and eventually built a career helping others discover what they were capable of.
For more than thirty years, I've worked in experiential education and school leadership, in Australia and overseas. I've guided people through challenging environments and led teams through uncertain times, always curious about what helps us through the hard parts of life.
Along the way, I've raised three children, lived and worked across four countries, completed five university qualifications and found my way onto a few comedy stages.
It hasn't been a conventional journey. But every part of it has deepened my curiosity about what helps people grow and hold together when life doesn't go to plan.
Academically grounded, practically tested
Alongside the places I've lived and the work I've done, I've kept returning to formal study. My five university qualifications span outdoor education, educational research, leadership and applied positive psychology.
I've always enjoyed exploring the research behind human behaviour, but what interests me most is how we can put that knowledge to use in the real world.
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Master of Applied Positive Psychology, University of Melbourne
Master of Business Administration (Leadership) Charles Sturt University
Master of Education (Research), Monash University
Postgraduate Diploma of Education (Secondary), Monash University
Bachelor of Arts (Outdoor Education), LaTrobe University
Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122)
Social and Emotional Intelligence Coach Certification, Institute of Social and Emotional Intelligence
Narrative Practices Certification, The Dulwich Centre
Non-Violent Communication Foundation Training, Communication Group
Evidence Based EFT Practitioner Training, Evidence Based EFT
Professional Course in Positive Neuroplasticity, Dr Rick Hanson
Project Management Certification, Swinburne University
NLP Trainer and Consultant
A life shaped by wonderfully different experiences
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Life and leadership in the Australian bush
For two years, I lived and worked at Wollangarra, a remote outdoor education centre reached only by flying fox across a river. There was no electricity or running water, and life revolved around the weather and the people we depended on.
I was raising a toddler there, and we brought our second son home to Wollangarra when he was just a few days old. Life required resourcefulness and a willingness to share the load. It was a remarkable education in community, and in what becomes possible when people work together.
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Preparing for the unexpected in South Korea
As risk manager at an international school, I was responsible for preparing for potential emergencies, including the possibility of geopolitical conflict.
That work taught me how much people rely on good systems. Plans and procedures matter enormously. But so does what happens between people when those plans are tested.
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A school grounded in Buddhist philosophy
As principal of a school founded on Buddhist principles, I explored what compassion and mindfulness look like when they become part of everyday leadership.
It confirmed something I'd seen throughout my career: culture isn't what an organisation says it values. It's what people experience every day.
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Leading across cultures
Living and working in Australia, South Korea, Vietnam and the United States challenged many of my assumptions about leadership and belonging.
Leading people from different cultural backgrounds broadened my understanding of how people work together, and reinforced the importance of recognising different perspectives while building a shared sense of purpose.
Some dreams take a lifetime •
Some dreams take a lifetime •
The mountain that changed everything
In 2018, after years of unexplained symptoms, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Living with MS brought a new kind of uncertainty. It also made me curious about the difference between the limits we face and the limits we come to believe about ourselves.
That curiosity eventually took me to the Himalayas.
In 2023, I reached around 8,000 metres on Mount Everest, only to discover that the bottled oxygen I needed to continue wasn't there. My summit attempt was over, roughly 850 metres below the top.
What followed was one of the hardest periods of my life. Back home, I struggled to find my footing again.
Three years later, in May 2026, I went back. At 54, I reached the summit, becoming the first Australian with multiple sclerosis to do so.
The adventures I'd once believed belonged to other people had taken me all the way to the top of the world.
From experience to understanding
Throughout my career, I've been fascinated by why people respond so differently to the same challenges.
Why do some people and teams hold together under pressure while others begin to fracture? And how much of what we call resilience actually depends on the relationships and systems around us?
Those questions led me to develop Human Structural Integrity, the central idea behind my work today. It explores what helps people and organisations hold together under pressure, looking at the foundations within us and the relationships and systems that support us.
It's a different way of understanding resilience. Instead of simply asking people to become tougher, it asks what we can deliberately build and strengthen, so that people and teams can withstand pressure and adapt without losing themselves or one another.
I've also developed the Identity Realignment Cycle™, which explains what happens when change disrupts our sense of self, and how we find our footing again.
Both draw on decades of professional experience and academic study, along with some deeply personal lessons about what it means to be human.
Today
Today, I bring this work to organisations through keynotes and workshops, and to individuals through professional and personal coaching. Everything I do connects lived experience with ideas people can actually use.
For organisations, that means strengthening the human foundations that support trust and sustainable performance.
For individuals, it's about questioning the stories that shape our lives and finding the courage to take meaningful steps forward.
And I'm still learning and asking questions about what helps us navigate life's mountains, both the ones we choose and the ones we don't.
Based in Australia. Speaking and working globally.
Let's start a conversation
Whether you're planning an event, looking to strengthen your team or exploring what's next for yourself, I'd love to help you create something meaningful that makes a lasting difference.