I came to Monte in Year 5 in 1963. I finished Year 12 in 1970 and was Vice Captain that year. My main interests were netball and swimming and I continued playing netball with school friends in a district competition. After leaving Monte, I studied physiotherapy and after graduating in 1973, I gained a first-year placement at the Royal North Shore Hospital where I remained until 1981.

During this period, my work in the Spinal Injury Unit led to work with the NSW and Australian Wheelchair teams and I was one of the first physiotherapists to be employed by a First Division Rugby Union Club in NSW. It was also at Royal North Shore that I was introduced to my career long work in the aquatic physiotherapy field. I have been very lucky to have great opportunities and mentors during my varied career.

I moved to Port Stephens in 1981 and I was offered the position of Physiotherapist in charge of the Mater Hospital in Newcastle. I was tempted away in 1984 to head up the Physiotherapy Unit at a new Occupational Health and Sports Medicine Centre in Merewether, Newcastle, where of course, I had a pool.

Following a motor vehicle accident in 1986, I spent three months in hospital and 18 months off work. During my recovery, I moved to Brisbane and returned to part-time work in 1989. I purchased a small practice in Brisbane in 1996 and accepted the opportunity to move my business to an aquatic centre in 1999 – one complete with a gym and several pools. There I remained for 20 productive years until my retirement in May 2019.

Work is never the whole story, so after my accident in 1986, I took up masters swimming as part of my rehab until 2008 when a friend talked me into my first open water swim... the start of a new story! I have since competed
in over 50 swims in Australia and 10 swims overseas. Swimming with friends from Alcatraz to San Francisco, across Auckland Harbour, Loch Ness and around the Statue of Liberty in New York were all highlights. I have since added swimming holidays to my list and have been to Greece in 2018 and 2019 with friends.

I am moving to Buderim on the Sunshine Coast at the end of 2021 to a new home and more adventures. I plan to keep swimming for as long as I can – it is great fun and fitness and there is always the coffee after!