Resilience Mindset

Meet Christine Turner, affectionately known as “Ducky” by her friends at JUZT Art. Christine is a proud mother, grandmother, and artist whose story exemplifies resilience, creativity, and determination. Living with her disability hasn’t been easy, but Christine has embraced her challenges, transforming them into a source of strength and inspiration for others. Through her love for painting swans,...

Allyson Brown, a true force of resilience and empowerment. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2005 during her PhD, Allyson has faced immense challenges but refused to let them define her. From completing her doctorate in forensic analytical chemistry to transforming her health and building a wellness business, Allyson has turned adversity into opportunity. A passionate advocate for breaking...

Ally and Matt Wakefield, whose journey together highlights the power of resilience, love, and adaptability in the face of disabilities. Ally has faced significant health challenges, living with a disability that has profoundly impacted her daily life. Despite these obstacles, her unwavering positivity and determination to thrive have been a shining example of strength and perseverance. Matt has al...

Alison Connely—a proud mum, wife, and passionate advocate who balances life with cerebral palsy and other health challenges. Alison is the driving force behind My Choice Group, an NDIS-registered provider in Geelong, where she and her family work to support others with disabilities through a personalised, boutique approach. Born with cerebral palsy, Alison has embraced her journey of self-awarenes...

Meet Raegan Cavagnino, a woman of extraordinary resilience, determination, and advocacy. Born blind, Raegan has never let her disability define her—instead, she has embraced challenges, turned them into opportunities, and proven time and again that blindness does not mean limitation. From learning to type at 15 to navigating education, work, and social life, Raegan has broken down misconceptions a...

Meet Jodie Buckley—a devoted mother, former baker and aged care worker, and a woman of immense resilience. Diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PMMS), Jodie has had to redefine her independence, adapting to a life that looks different than she once imagined. Despite the challenges, she continues to find joy and purpose in the small moments—whether through art, meditation, or spen...

Beth was born in a small town in the upper Hunter Valley in NSW, the third of 4 children. Her family lived on a property along with her beloved grandparents. After finishing her schooling at a Sydney boarding school Beth had a number of career changes before serendipitously landing a not-for-profit community based aged-care position, where she remains today. Diagnosed with MS at age 41, Beth focus...

John Van De Putt's life has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Born to Dutch immigrant parents, he had a great childhood with many siblings. He achieved success in sports and business, but his life took a turn when diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Ignoring the early symptoms, he faced numerous relapses and hospitalisations. His marriage struggled due to his health, but he found lo...

Lachlan Terry led a vibrant, active life until the unsettling prospect of being confined to a wheelchair emerged. In his 42 years, he had avoided debilitating injuries, relying on a mix of good luck and management. The gradual and unexpected onset of his condition hindered job opportunities and even mundane tasks like picking up a coin. The question "Why me?" lingered, but Lachlan learne...

Kerrie was born in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in 1975. She is a disability advocate and uses her lived experience of disability to help perform her role as a community member of her local council Access and Inclusion Committee.  Kerrie writes short poems and is a chin cup painter and will be publishing her first book soon. She is passionate about arts and uses this...

Tanya was born and raised in Brisbane, Queensland. She still lives in Brisbane with her husband, son and fluffy puppy. She actively attends physio weekly and enjoys (sometimes) hydro fortnightly. She is currently volunteering for a wonderful start up called Enabled.vip. Enabled.vip was created and is run by people with a disability for people living with a disability. It is an online platform dedi...

Clare Reilly (she/her) was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in April 2017. With a background in outdoor education, Clare loves spending time outdoors. Clare lives on the Bellarine Peninsula, near Geelong, with her husband and son. Clare explores various arts and crafts, is passionate about environmental sustainability and enjoys sharing good food with loved ones. She is an advocate for those...

Kristi Paschalidis is an accomplished senior internal recruiter with over 11 years of experience across multiple industries. She holds a B. Social Science degree, majoring in Human Resource Management from UNSW. Additionally, Kristi is a qualified Diversity and Inclusion specialist. In 2015, Kristi married her husband and they have been blessed with two beautiful children who bring immense joy to...

Elizabeth Neal, a woman of unwavering strength and optimism, has faced life's challenges with determination and a sense of humor. Diagnosed with MS in 1991, she endured misdiagnosis and hostility in the RAAF. Despite constant fatigue, dizziness, and falls, she found joy in her marriage, motherhood and pursuit of higher education. Through it all, Elizabeth's resilience continues to shine...

Stacey Metcalf's personal perspective is a powerful journey of resilience and self-discovery. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) at a young age, she faced uncertainty and fear, but she refused to let the disease define her. Stacey navigated through numerous relapses and challenges, refusing to let MS dictate her life. Stacey Metcalf's remarkable journey of resilience and self-discove...

Justine Martin is the visionary behind this extraordinary anthology MS Book “Whispers of Resilience; Our MS Stories”. She is the Founder/CEO of the Justine Martin Corporation (JMC), a conglomerate comprising six successful businesses: Juzt art, Resilience Mindset, Van-Go Decals, Morpheus Publishing, Team Fingerprint, and Geelong Residential Cleaners. An accomplished and award-winning artist, keyno...

Robyn Hart has led a full life with many achievements throughout her many overlapping careers and industries. Robyn has been involved in the entertainment industry since she was born and founded her career over 35 years ago. Being heavily involved as a general manager and hands on technician of a renowned Australian company, Robyn’s career covered all facets of the industry from theatre, concert,...

Candice is married and has three children; twins aged 10, and a seven-year-old. Her hands are full with three girls, three dogs, and five cats. Not to mention 2 fish tanks. Candice is a clinical psychologist and works in a private hospital, plus runs a successful private practice. She has been a Clinical Director there for five years and enjoys treating clients with complex trauma, personality dis...

Penel (aka Penelope) was diagnosed with RRMS 22 years ago. She has slowly, but surely, progressed to SPMS. Penel worked in the health care sector for approximately 30 years. Nine years ago, she made the difficult decision to retire. These days she is busier than ever with volunteer work, yoga, exercise sessions and learning new skills (not always related to MS) with the aim of staying happy, safe,...

Jayne is a self-employed businesswoman, married and a busy mother of two teenagers. She trained and worked in the beauty industry for many years.   Jayne was diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS in November 2009. She was 27 years of age at the time of her diagnosis, her children were aged just four and 18 months old at the time.   Since her diagnosis, Jayne has held roles with Multiple Sclerosis...

Kim has dedicated her chapter to her cherished truest friends; especially SWALK, Hugs, Rex Roarrrs to Blaze and sends Spanks to Lover. Kim Eagle's childhood was marked by a struggle to accept her name, Kimberly, as she preferred being called the "Yil girl." Growing up in Australia's countryside, she was shy yet affectionate, earning the family nickname "Kimberly Koala.&quo...

Laura is the owner of an all abilities gym called Dash Gym & Wellbeing, is a former secondary/ESL and Italian teacher, artist, cook and supermum to 2 incredible kids! She has lived with Multiple Sclerosis for 39 years in its current stage of secondary progressive. Laura refuses to allow the condition to dictate the terms of her life and through support of family and professional/allied health...

Determined to help others living with Multiple Sclerosis, Colleen leads an MS support group who have inspired and supported her focus on raising awareness of the disease. Awarded community recognition by a local MP after organising her first MS event, Colleen’s determination continues to be evident in the effort, time, commitment and initiative she shows by bringing about local community events to...

A bit about me, I was born in Lima, Peru. Been living in Australia since 1994 and was diagnosed in 2016. I enjoy photography, collecting beach glass, reading, listening to music—especially Nick Cave and The Pogues—reading and photography. My Instagram is pukasonqo—that is a “q” and not a “g”. I have two adult children and live with my partner, Carl, and two cats in Sydney. In my previous incarnati...

Nina Crumpton's life journey has been one of immense resilience and determination. Growing up in a challenging environment, she faced poverty, family dysfunction and loneliness. Despite the odds stacked against her, she pursued education and dreamt of a better life. However, her life took a new turn when she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and later with Bipolar 1 Disorder. With gr...