If you’re new here, you might see a woman who smiles easily, loves deeply, and lives gratefully. But like any good story, the chapters that brought me to today are packed with steep climbs, unexpected plot twists, and a whole lot of plain old survival.

First things first: my house and my heart are completely full. My absolute greatest titles in life are Mum, Nan, and Wife. I’m blessed with eight incredible children—three boys and three girls birthed, plus two more who officially joined our chaotic crew in 2021. They are my absolute rocks and the main reason I never threw in the towel, even when life got painfully heavy. And I can't forget my 2 ring-ins—the incredible partners to my children who brought even more love into our world and handed me my grandbabies! Watching my kids step into parenthood themselves and diving headfirst into my grandmother era with four beautiful grandbabies. I’m soaking up every single second of it.

Behind this joyful present, though, is a woman who had to fight like hell to get here.

I was born into a story that was already heavy. A year before I came into the world, my mother lost her newborn daughter—and then I was born in that very same month a year later, as the eldest and only girl. Mum then had my brother two years after me. When we were still really young, Mum left my father. She later remarried in 1981 to a man who became my Dad, bringing his two sons from a previous relationship into our blend. Growing up, my world was a rich, unique cultural mix: raised on deep Irish traditions from my mother’s side, a good dose of Dutch culture from my stepdad, and later in my adult years, proudly rediscovering and reconnecting with my Indigenous heritage from my biological father’s side. Navigating that blended, complex family dynamic as the eldest daughter was where I first started laying the foundations for my unshakeable resilience.

My early adulthood brought a relationship that gifted me my eldest two children. While that romantic chapter eventually closed, it birthed two incredible human beings and built a genuine, solid friendship that still stands strong to this day.

Then came a much darker chapter. For 16 long years, I lived through the exhausting, terrifying reality of domestic violence. I walked away in 2011, but the abuse didn't just stop because I packed a bag. Closing that door for good with a divorce in 2016 was terrifying, but it was the very first day of the rest of my life. Rebuilding from total scratch meant reinventing myself, adapting constantly, and proving to myself that I could survive and thrive independently.

Through all that chaos, basketball was my sanctuary. Coaching and running administration taught me how to look at a broken play, pivot on a dime, and draw up a fresh strategy on the fly. When my personal life felt like a court full of aggressive defense, stepping onto the hardwood reminded me of who I was outside of my trauma. But in 2016, life handed me a massive plot twist: severe osteoarthritis in my right ankle, which is now both ankles, effectively benching me for good. Losing the game that kept me grounded was a brutally bitter pill to swallow.

And right in the middle of that storm—while I was knee-deep in career transitions, managing pain, and absolutely not looking for love, just trying to survive and figure out what on earth was coming next—fate decided to throw in a plot twist in 2021. It brought back a man who had actually been a thread in my life since our teenage years. I wasn't looking for a fairytale; I was just trying to hold my world together. But he walked into the middle of my chaotic rebuild, stood by me, and in 2024, we got married. I finally found a partner who loves, honors, and respects me exactly as I am—no conditions, no fine print, even when life was messy.

Then came late 2024, when my body decided to throw the ultimate wake-up call. An out-of-nowhere SVT severe attack led straight to heart surgery in early 2025. During this time also came Type 2 diabetes diagnosis. The universe was basically screaming at me to stop running on fumes, stop trying to be ‘the rock’ for everyone else, and finally pay attention to the flashing red warning lights on my own dashboard. I couldn't pour from an empty cup anymore.

Having weathered mental health battles, career shifts, abusive dynamics, chronic pain, and health scares, I know firsthand that we’re usually forced to balance real life while we heal and reclaim our joy. As an ex-basketball coach with a background in counselling, I don't do fluff—I guide women and men who are ready to stop surviving their life transitions and start actually thriving in their next chapter.

As a Mindset Life Coach, I use Adlerian principles, neuroscience, and a good dose of straight-shooting, loving guidance to help you navigate, rebuild, and thrive through every season of transition..

Alfred Adler nailed it when he said, "We are influenced not by the facts, but by our interpretation of the facts." Together, we’ll kick anxiety to the curb, shatter your old rules, and build a life that feels genuinely yours. Rebuilding isn't a one-time event—it’s an ongoing journey, and if you're ready to step up, I'm right here in your corner.