S3 Ep8- From Abuse to Freedom | Amanda's Journey of Faith, Courage & Healing

S3 Ep8- From Abuse to Freedom | Amanda's Journey of Faith, Courage & Healing

In this episode, I sit down with the wonderful Amanda, someone I first met through the Start Over Movement. From the moment we connected, I knew her story would inspire others. Amanda grew up in a family of eleven, where life was filled with adversity. She shares the challenges her family faced, from siblings being taken into care to witnessing addiction, illness, and loss. Through it all, her faith gave her strength and hope. Amanda also opens up about surviving an abusive relationship, finding the courage to walk away, and rebuilding her life after one of its darkest chapters. Her journey is a powerful reminder that our past doesn't have to define our future. Today, Amanda is living with purpose, travelling the world, helping others through health and fitness, and encouraging people to choose joy, gratitude, and self-awareness every single day. I'm incredibly grateful our paths crossed, and I know you'll take something meaningful from this conversation. You can connect with Amanda here: @HappyAmanda8.

S3 Ep7- How I lost my health completely and rebuilt my nervous system | Melanie Gilchrist's Story

In this deeply honest and inspiring episode, we sit down with Melanie Gilchrist to explore a lifetime of adversity, healing and transformation. Growing up, Melanie experienced significant family trauma, including her father's schizophrenia, her sister's bipolar disorder and the emotional weight of taking on responsibility from a young age. As the years went on, she found herself battling relentless depression, chronic stress, domestic abuse, grief and a series of debilitating health conditions that left her feeling completely disconnected from herself. After years of searching for answers, Melanie began to discover the powerful connection between emotional wellbeing, the nervous system and physical health. Through changes to her lifestyle, nutrition, running, psychological support and energy healing, she gradually rebuilt her life and found a renewed sense of purpose. Today, Melanie is a Reiki Master Teacher, transformational therapist, speaker and mentor who helps women reconnect with themselves, build confidence and realise their true potential. Her own experiences have shaped a mission to help others understand that healing is possible, even after years of suffering. In this conversation we discuss: * Growing up surrounded by trauma and mental illness. * Living with relentless depression and chronic stress. * Domestic abuse, shame and finding the strength to leave. * The impact stress can have on physical health and the immune system. * Living with conditions including Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) and PMDD. * Her journey away from antidepressants alongside professional support and lifestyle changes. * The role of nutrition, movement, psychology and Reiki in her recovery. * Why she now believes our greatest challenges can become our greatest gifts. * Helping women transform their lives through healing, confidence and self-belief. Melanie's story is one of remarkable resilience. It's a reminder that while healing rarely happens overnight, it is possible to move from surviving to truly living. If you've ever struggled with your mental health, experienced trauma or wondered whether change is possible, this conversation will leave you feeling hopeful and inspired. Learn more about Melanie: 🌐 melaniegilchrist.com 📱 Instagram: @melaniegilchristreiki

S3 Ep6- Never Give Up on Yourself | Barry Carey’s Story

A couple of years ago, I met Barry- and his story has stuck with me ever since. Barry Carey, a number one bestselling author in the Start Over Series (Volume 4), is originally from Northern Ireland and moved to Australia in 2008, planning to stay for just a year. Like many, that year turned into something much bigger- but not without its challenges. What started as a lifestyle of partying in his early 20s quickly spiralled into heavy drinking, anxiety, and declining mental health. After a series of difficult events, including a car crash and struggles with depression, Barry reached a breaking point. But that wasn’t the end of his story. Through running and discipline, Barry began to rebuild, training at an elite level and completely shifting his mindset. Yet even after physical progress, he faced further setbacks, including injury, trauma, and deep depression that led to hospitalisation. After surviving a life-threatening accident, Barry had a realisation: if he was still here, there had to be a reason. From that moment, everything changed. He committed to working on his mind, rebuilding his life through fitness, mental health support, and personal growth. Today, he’s a speaker, author, and advocate, helping others find their way through dark times. In this episode, we talk about rock bottom, resilience, and what it really takes to start over. Barry’s message is simple: Never give up on yourself. Ask for help — and keep going. Connect with Barry on Instagram: @careybarry

S3 Ep5- Kersten Stengel: She Woke Up Pain-Free… What Happened Next Changed Everything.

In this episode, I’m joined by Kersten Stengel, whose journey is nothing short of powerful. Kersten was born in Blackpool and studied in Manchester, where she completed a science degree before going on to train as a teacher. She started her career back in Blackpool, driven by a genuine passion to become the best teacher she could be. Around that time, she met her now-husband-who’s originally from Scandinavia, through her family’s pub. Not long after, they got married, and together they made a bold decision: to start a completely new life abroad. They chose Adelaide, despite never having been before. After navigating the visa process, Kersten secured a role as a science teacher, and within just two years, she was promoted to assistant principal. On paper, everything was going well. But life had other plans. While working at a new school, Kersten experienced a traumatic incident involving intruders. In the aftermath, she sustained an injury that would go on to change everything. What followed was a long and incredibly challenging period of chronic pain... migraines that lasted weeks, restricted movement, and a loss of independence that left her feeling isolated and disconnected from her life. At her lowest point, something shifted. A yoga retreat in Byron Bay became a turning point. During a deeply transformative experience with yoga nidra, Kersten woke up pain-free for the first time. Although the pain didn’t disappear completely, it gave her something she hadn’t felt in a long time—hope. That moment set her on a completely new path. Since then, Kersten has trained extensively in yoga, meditation, trauma awareness, and clinical nutrition, including time spent studying in Chennai. She’s built a toolkit not only to manage her own pain, but to help others reconnect with themselves and heal. We also talk about how Kersten and I connected through social media, her involvement in the Start Over journey, and how she’s now turning her experience, knowledge, and passion into a growing business- helping others find their way back to who they truly are. Her message is simple but powerful: reconnect with your true self, understand your values, and have the courage to follow that path. If you’d like to follow Kersten’s journey, you can find her on Instagram at @kerstenstengel.

S3 Ep4- From Losing His Job to Building an Iron Man Suit | Adam Douglas

In this episode, I’m joined by Adam Douglas, who shares how he discovered the Start Over movement after coming across my podcast and connecting with me on Instagram. After learning about the opportunity to co-author and share powerful life stories, Adam felt inspired to step forward and tell his own. Adam talks openly about the challenges he faced during COVID when he lost his job and the sense of purpose that came with it. As someone who thrives on meeting people and being creative, he suddenly found himself with too much time and no clear direction. It was a difficult period that even brought back memories of a time when he had been seriously ill. But out of that low moment came something unexpected. Surrounded by spare cardboard and old art supplies, Adam began creating again. What started as simple experiments quickly grew into something much bigger- from small models to an incredible cardboard Iron Man suit and life-size mannequin prototypes. When he finally displayed one of his creations outside in Manchester, the reaction from curious passers-by became a powerful and magical moment that reminded him of the joy of creating. Adam, an engineer and engineering teacher, is now turning his creativity into something even bigger. He’s building a business around his creations, with plans to design full-size models and vehicles, while also using his skills to inspire others through creativity, collaboration, and coaching. Adam’s story is a reminder that even in our lowest moments, creativity and purpose can help us find our way forward. To connect with Adam, follow him on Instagram: @adamdouglascoach