Remedial massage is your calling, what do you love most about it?
Growing up I was a very active young girl that was into every sport/activity you could think of. A national gymnast for 15 years, weekly basketball, athletics and holidays at the beach. I would receive physio treatments to keep me active and I became interested in the industry. As I became a surf instructor from the age of 19, I wanted to balance this with work in remedial massage. I knew I didn’t want to be the typical massage therapist.
I am a care giver and genuinely love helping people. I aim to fix things so they can get back to living their best life.
I have a great inner knowing of what needs to be done for a client when they come in. It’s about understanding the person and listening to their needs, as well as helping them achieve their physical and mental goals.
As a therapist of 15 years, my treatments are starting to change and adapt with time.
I offer many adjunct modalities, such as using the TENS machine with dry needling, cupping, Gua-Sha and Moxa in my sessions.
The combination I use in my treatments is the secret to my healing practices. Having a great allied team around me to refer for further treatment is also beneficial to my patients. I treat a broad range of people. Anyone from 6 to 96 year olds, pro athletes, celebrities, emergency service workers, other allied health practitioners and general public.
What keeps me going is seeing the smiles, pure joy and lightness when someone walks out of treatment.
You’re know around the clinic for being passionate about the ocean. What are some of your favourite water activities?
During the warmer months it is not uncommon to see me turning up to work with wet salty hair and zinc on my face I have always been drawn to the water, mostly the ocean. I feel irritated being away from the sea. My pop taught me how to fish and my parents would take my family on beach holidays. Throughout my teens I would catch the bus to go surfing and hire little boats to go fishing.
I became a surf instructor when I was 19 years old and am now heading into my 19th year of instructing. I have fished throughout my life and last year I bought a 4.45 Mt Stacer tinnie so I can continue to fish independently. Both industry’s are/were male dominated so at times very intimidating and challenging.
You spend a lot of your time working with women. How important is it to you to empower women in water sports?
My 7 year old daughter, Frankie, is the reason why I am passionate about equality in all industries and walks of life. I do my best to support, promote, encourage and love, to help continue the growth and balance within the industries I am involved with.
In 2019 I became an ambassador for Women In Recreational Fishing, and I continue to promote and guide women into the industry today. I have an influencer page for fishing and have become a co-host on fishing TV as well as a sponsored angler.
We have made incredible progress in the industry and big changes have happened because of it. Incredibly proud. WIRF now has a Facebook group, which over 3000 women have joined and are now fishing independently or with other women. Men can follow their journey on the Instagram page.
In surfing, we always encourage females to instruct, which in turn invites girls and women to have a go. Here on the Peninsula, friends of mine have started the Peninsula Surf Sisters Facebook group and when you join you get a sticker for your car. I now see a whole community of women turning up to the surf and watch look out for their smiling faces in the water. It has brought so many women together at all stages of their journey and has become a supportive family.
Frankie loves to surf and fish, so it makes me happy to know that moving forward she will be supported and included.
You’ve been a co-host on TV, can you tell us a bit more about this?
Most people know I love to talk, laugh and am a high energy, playful individual. I will take on any challenge given to me and possess a wide range of skills. I can never be settled in one place.
So being an ambassador for women in fishing, I was asked to co-host on fishing shows.
I have been lucky enough to film 3 different shows. Starting with 2 episodes on Savage Seas Adventures, then Oz Fish TV where Frankie starred in the show. I continue to film with this show now. I was also incredibly lucky to be asked to film 2 episodes with IFISH TV.
I am hoping to continue to host shows and fishing events so I can keep promoting WIRF. It’s super fun, engaging and it’s reached so many people who can then take their families and daughters out fishing. People are loving the time they get to spend with their families and bring a feed home. It also gets kids off the screens and into the outdoors, so if I can make the difference, I’ll keep doing it!