Wine with Wita

Hey everyone, This week, for the final episode of 2025, I sit down for a heartfelt solo chat and share my Wita Recap of the year. ​ I open up about the highs and lows, a personal family grief that changed us deeply and how our overseas trip became a place of healing, faith and connection. It reminded me of the power of community and why our village matters so much when life feels heavy. ​ This sea...

Hey everyone, This week, I sit down with cake designer, business owner andsoon-to-be kitchen-therapy creator Daniella Park , the powerhouse behind Buttercream Lane. Daniella left school at 16 due to severe dyslexia, taughtherself to bake through YouTube and went on to build one of Australia’s most recognisable cake brands. Her story is one of resilience, purpose, faith and finding joy in places ot...

Hey everyone,This week, I sit down with disability advocate, athlete andpublic speaker Brodie Kelly, founder of Pushing Perceptions. ​ Brodie lives with cerebral palsy, quadriplegia, and less than 20per cent body function, but he has built a life around adapting, speaking up and challenging the low expectations often placed on people with disability. ​ He shares what it was like growing up in the...

Hey everyone, This week, I sit down with disability advocate and motivational speaker Kyle “Willpower,” a man who has been defying expectations since he was diagnosed with Charcot Marie Tooth disease at just five years old. ​Kyle shares what it was really like growing up as “the onlydisabled kid at school” in a small country town, from athletics carnivals and soccer on legs that would not cooperat...

Hey everyone, This week, I’m joined by Elle Brown , a women’s health practitioner and founder of Elle Brown Wellness. ​Elle’s work is dedicated to helping women understand their bodies, reduce burnout, and build true wellbeing through nutrition, emotional awareness, and nervous system regulation. ​In this week’s episode, we talk about: 💫 Why so many women feel “wired but tired” and what that says...

Hey everyone,This week, I sit down with Canberra Raiders coach and Dally Mwinner, Ricky Stuart , a man who has redefined what success truly means. ​Behind the titles and trophies is a father who has spent nearlythree decades navigating life with his daughter, Emma, who is autistic and non-speaking. In our conversation, Ricky opens up about the lessons Emma has taught him, the challenges and joy of...

Hey everyone, This week, I’m joined by  Anthony Laye , a renowned behaviour expert and speaker who helps people communicate with confidence. Anthony shares a deeply personal story about being told as a child to “pretend to sing” so no one would hear him - a moment that made him stop speaking and develop a stutter. Today, he uses that experience to teach others how to reconnect with their authentic...

Hey everyone, As we wrap up Carers Month and our special collaboration with ENVISAGE Families, I am joined by Penny Graham. Penny is a mum of four, a social worker with over 20 years of experience, and a facilitator with ENVISAGE Families. Her youngest son, Al, lives with complex disabilities, and through him, Penny has become an incredible advocate for inclusion and belonging. This conversation i...

Hey everyone, In honour of Carers Month, I am joined by Janice McRandal. Janice is a mum of three and a National Parent Peer with ENVISAGE Families. Inspired by her son Leo, who lives with a rare genetic disorder, Janice combines lived experience with a background in humanities and disability studies to champion carer wellbeing and meaningful change. This conversation is honest, moving and practic...

Hey everyone This October, Wine with Wita is partnering with ENVISAGE Families to share stories that matter. In this week’s episode, I am joined by Professor Laura Miller, an occupational therapist with over 25 years of experience supporting children with disabilities and their families around the world. Laura now leads the ENVISAGE Families program, a free initiative designed to empower caregiver...

Hi everyone, This October, Wine with Wita is partnering with ENVISAGE Families to share stories that matter.  In this week’s episode, I am joined by Rose Babic , a lived experience researcher in childhood disability, NDIS support coordinator and passionate advocate for family empowerment. Rose is mum to Eric, who has a complex neuro-disabilityrequiring 24/7 care, and Marcus, her younger son. Rose...

Hi everyone, We are back with another episode in the School ReadinessSeries on Wine with Wita, and this one dives into a perspective every parent should hear. I am joined by Ann Murphy, child and family counsellor andfounder of Web of Light, to explore why emotional safety and connection matter more than letters and numbers when it comes to starting school. From her experience supporting children...

Hi everyone, In this episode of Wine with Wita, we’re joined by paediatric occupational therapist and founder of Move Play Grow, Maria Perco. Maria has helped hundreds of children build the motor, sensory and self-care skills they need to thrive at school and beyond. In our chat, Maria shares her practical insights on what school readiness really means from an OT perspective. Spoiler alert - it is...

Hi everyone, This week on Wine with Wita, we’re continuing our School Readiness Series with someone very special to me, my former clinical educator, mentor, and dear friend, Carl Sokkar. Carl is a highly experienced speech pathologist and theDirector of the Speech Language Learning Centre in Westmead, the very first clinic I worked at after university. It’s still one of the most supportive, client...

Hi everyone, This week on Wine with Wita, we’re kicking off our specialSchool Readiness Series with someone who’s seen it from all angles, both in the classroom and at home. Jess Labban is back!! She is a primary school teacher with11 years of experience and a mum to two young kids. In this conversation, Jess shares: ✅ What school readiness really means (hint: it’s not about writing their name)...

Hi everyone, This week’s Wine with Wita is one of the most important conversations I’ve ever had on the podcast. I had the absolute honour of speaking with Dr. Robert Melillo, world-renowned expert in childhood neurological disorders, founder of the Brain Balance Centers, creator of the Melillo Method, and author of the groundbreaking book Disconnected Kids. With over 1 million followers online an...

Hi everyone, This week on Wine with Wita, I’m joined by Anna, mother to3-year-old Hugo, who was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy. Anna shares how her world shifted in an instant when shereceived an email saying her son likely had a disability. Her pregnancy was smooth, her delivery uneventful, and yethere she was, trying to process a diagnosis while still recovering from birth. I...

Hi everyone, In this week’s episode of Wine with Wita, I’m joined by theincredible Porscia Lam, Melbourne-based mum, lawyer, and author of The Unlocking: An Autism Story. Porscia’s son Harry was diagnosed with autism during Melbourne’s gruelling lockdowns. What followed was a journey filled with confusion, heartbreak, and profound learning , not just about autism, but about herself, her culture, a...

Hi everyone, This week on Wine with Wita , I had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr Carlo Rinaudo, a chiropractor and clinical neuroscientist whose work in paediatric neurodevelopment is expanding how we think about brain and body connection in children. Dr Carlo brings a unique perspective to developmental care,  blending clinical neuroscience with hands-on support for children and families.  I...

Hi everyone, This week on Wine with Wita, I’m bringing you a solo episode straight from my speech therapy room, and it all started with a toy house and a little girl who thought Miss Rachel had walked into the room. It’s funny how often parent say to me: “I wish I was like Miss Rachel.” But the truth is… you already can be. Singing with your child doesn’t require a perfect voice or a polished rout...

Hi everyone, This week on Wine with Wita, I sat down with Nick Canella,father of three, die-hard AC Milan fan, and the heart behind Football4All at Moorebank Sports Soccer Club. We talked about a father navigating the complexities ofraising a child with one of the rarest neuromuscular disorders in Australia: a condition so rare his son was the first recorded case in the country. In this conversati...

Hi everyone, This week on Wine with Wita, I sit down with Youssef Dib, one of Australia’s most recognised boxers, part of a legendary fighting family, and a father of three. But this episode isn’t about titles or trophies. It’s about what happens outside the ring: in hospital corridors, therapy rooms, and quiet moments of doubt and faith. Youssef’s middle child, Jibreel, was born at just 25 weeks,...

Hi everyone, What if you were told your child would never walk, talk, or be included? In this week’s episode of Wine with Wita, I sit down with two remarkable humans: George Tonna and Marco Quintao, founders of Heroes with Ability, a grassroots organisation changing the lives of children and young adults with disabilities through inclusive sport. George, who has cerebral palsy, went from being lef...

Hi everyone, This week on Wine with Wita, I sat down with someone whose heart speaks louder than his fists: retired international heavyweight boxer, Junior Fa. You might know him from the ring, but in this conversation, you’ll get to know him as a father, a fierce autism advocate, and someone who chose to walk away from professional boxing to align with something much deeper: his purpose. Junior i...

Hi everyone, When you think of a dance studio, you might picture competitions, costumes, and choreography. But for Megan Jessop, Director of Dance Habit, dance is about so much more than that. It’s about belonging. Connection. Confidence. And creating a space where every child is seen, celebrated, and supported. This week on Wine with Wita , Megan shares the story behind her childhood dream turned...