I grew up in the water. Swimming competitively from a young age, I went on to represent Australia internationally — travelling the world and learning early that dedication and discipline could take you places you never imagined.

But beneath the surface, I was carrying something else entirely. For fourteen years, I tried to transition, and for fourteen years, circumstances forced me back into hiding. I won't dress that up — it was hard. But I chose life, every single time. And while I waited for the world to catch up, I built things.

I helped grow a family business. I coached swimmers, including children with autism and Down syndrome, and watched sport become a lifeline for kids who needed somewhere to belong. I built a cafe that ran for six years and a wholesale coffee business that still operates today. I kept moving forward because that is what I know how to do.

Then finally, after fourteen years of waiting, I was able to live as myself. It was my new beginning and my greatest challenge all at once.

Since then, I have not slowed down. I co-founded the Gold Coast Pride Collective, helping build one of the region's most visible LGBTIQA+ community organisations. I became Charity Manager at Disability and Youth Communities Ltd, working every day to build programs and pathways for people who need them. And I am almost finished with my Bachelor of Social Work — because I wanted the theory to match the lived experience I had already spent decades accumulating.

This is not a straight line. But it is mine.

How does that feel?