February 6, 2025 • 16 mins
Ex-airforce officer Cindy Chawner is born'n'bred Cobargo, but right now, she’s in Canada as one of 10 defence force veterans within the Aussie team competing at the Invictus Games. She's no finely tuned athlete, but that's not the point.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
High are far South Coast, eventually moved away, fell in love,
married to Brus. You know how the story goes.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Gooday, I'm James Fantasy. Great to be back for our
new series and I'm excited for you to meet our
next guest. She's a real inspiration to get us all
motivated for the new year. Ex Air Force Officer Cindy
Shawner is born and bred in Cabago and currently resides
just outside of Cuma, but right now she's in Canada
as one of ten New South Wales Defense Force veterans
(00:32):
within the Aussie team competing at the Invictus Games. It's
pretty widely known Prince Harry launched the Invictus Games ten
years ago, an event focusing on adaptive sports for service
personnel and veterans, those who've been wounded or injured or
are recovering from any kind of trauma related to their service.
The Games happen every two years and I was able
(00:52):
to have a good chat with Cindy before she took
off for Vancouver. And at fifty nine years young, Cindy
is the oldest Aussie team and upfront she admits she's
not the highly tuned athlete you'd expect to be donning
the Green and gold, but she has been in training
and she's going to give it a red hot crack.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
That combination of really excited, incredibly overwhelmed, but just so
humbled and blessed to be able to represent our country
and be there with my teammates and all of our
family and friends. So it's a really exciting time.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
And what made you apply for the Invictus Games.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Oh, now that's a story, James. Now, I was medically
discharged due to a range of physical and mental health
issues in twenty twenty three, and I think it wasn't
until I was discharged that I actually hit my worst.
I lost my sense of self, I lost my connections. Yeah,
you lose your career after a long time, and in
(01:51):
the military, it's very much a part of who you are.
So I felt very isolated and alone. And I found
out in early twenty twenty four that I was eligible
for the Invictus Games, and so I set that as
a new goal to try to get myself moving and
rediscover me post discharge.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Can you share a bit of your story with us.
I believe you grew up for the most part in
Cabargo but you've traveled around a lot. You eventually became
an early childhood teacher in the Northern Territory before you
joined the Royal Australian Air Force in March of nineteen
ninety nine. Can you just tell us a bit of
your backstory then?
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Yeah, I grew up in Cabago. A lot of family
and friends still down here and it was a great
place to grow up. I couldn't have asked for a
more idealic setting as a kid. Then eventually moved away,
fell in love, married, divorce, you know how the story goes.
But I went back to school as a mature age
(02:50):
student and studied education and ended up working in the
Northern Territory. And from there I joined the Air Force
via the reserves, did a small amount of time in
the reserves and then went permanent. And I've been very,
very lucky. I had a great career. I got to
travel all around the Australia with work and overseas and
that sort of led me to quite a decent lengthy
(03:13):
career and then medically discharged in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
I want to talk about the fact you were deployed
to the Middle East back in twenty ten. Can you
just tell us a little bit about what that was like.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Yeah. I deployed as a part of op's Slipper in
twenty twenty ten and that was part of a not
multinational contingent. My experience, i guess, was one of a
role where I supported people who were let's say non
successful in their deployments. So we looked after the people
who had been required to return to Australia. Whether that
(03:46):
be through performance or personal circumstances, it could be they
were compassionately returned home and a fairly significant part of
that role for me was I also looked after the deceased.
So I was Senior Military Affairs Officer for the Middle
East in twenty twenty ten. One of the other aspects
of my role was also returning our military working dogs
(04:09):
if they had been wounded or killed during their deployment.
But I had a great experience with doing the return
of a live dog, ed D Sarbi. She had been
missing in Afghanistan for over a year and when she
was discovered I was able to organize for her to
be returned to Australia. Wow.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
That must have been so powerful and meaningful to play
a part in that, and I imagine the owners were
very thrilled or I mean, does a dog like that
have owners back home or how does that work? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Look, it's an interesting one. With the military working dogs,
they are very very close to their handlers, and this
particular dog, Sabi, her handler happened to be in Afghanistan
at the time. We were looking at returning her to Australia.
So eventually Sabi made at home and she retired and
went to live with her handler until she passed away
(05:06):
a few years later. So it was a great outcome
for them.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
So, as you touched on, you were medically discharged in
June of twenty twenty three. Can you tell us a
little bit about your injuries related to your servers?
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Yeah. Looks ultimately what led to my medical separation was
PTSD and that was related to my time in the
Middle East. I think it's really important for anybody who
develops mental health injury from any aspect of their life
to talk about it. I think it's really important that
(05:40):
we sort of raise that curtain and we let people
know how to fects us, because you know, you can't
recover unless you're open about your story.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
It's interesting I don't know that many people that have served,
but the ones that I do, I feel like they
all have some element of PTSD, and generally not many
like to talk about it, but you're saying it it's
important to.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Do, so yeah, Look, it really is important because whileever
you keep things to yourself, you can't move forward. And
I'm very fortunate. I'm part of a great veterans group
in Kuma, and we sit around and we yan and
we share experiences, so that's great. But yeah, I've never
been one to shy away about putting my hand up
and seeking professional support. And I've had great support over
(06:25):
the last few years from a psychologist, and I think
that's really important because you've only got one life.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
We've just talked about the impact that just having a
conversation can have and being open and talking about things
that you've experienced. What about the role that sport has
played in your rehabilitation. Can you talk a bit to that.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
I have to be very honest about this. I hadn't
been involved in sport for a long time, and I
didn't realize how much I needed it. So when I
found out that I was eligible for the Invictus program
and I put in an application because it's something you
have to apply for for the Invictors Games. I started
setting myself some small goals, and they were goals about
(07:06):
my fitness and my nutrition, and started holding myself accountable
and just working on getting active again. And what I
found was in doing that, the more active I became,
and the more regularly and consistent I was getting out
there and engaging in physical activity, the greater the impact
it had on myself Holistically. My mental health was improving,
(07:30):
my physicality was improving, and a lot of the issues
that I was having joint pain, etc. Started to change.
Things started to really improve. So this is something I
want to keep doing. I've rediscovered sport after a very
long time away from it and I'm loving it.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
More soon from Cindy shawaner one of our Aussies at
this month's in Victus Games in Canada, and you won't
believe one of the crazy events she'll be competing at
I Art Fast South Coast. I Art Fast South Coast.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
I have just committed to sliding headfirst down an icy
path in the skeleton. What could possibly go wrong?
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Welcome back. Our guest is Cabargo's Cindy Shawner, one of
thirty three ossie X defense personnel competing at this month's
in Victus Games in a wintery Vancouver, Canada. You have
to apply it to be considered for the Games, and
Cindy's ongoing recovery from PTSD from her service in the
Middle East convinced selectors she was more than worthy of
(08:37):
the opportunity. Cindy, though, was a bit stunned. She got
in I.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Can go right back to that moment. So I got
the phone call and the head coach said that I
was going, and I've gone. I have just committed to
sliding headfirst down an icy path in the skeleton. Oh.
And I was so excited. But then I have an
overall excime of oh my god, I'm going to be
(09:02):
representing my country. This is such an amazing thing. I've
made it, you know, to be able to do this.
And then I've realized I'm going in skeleton.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Yeah, And I've been wanting to bring this up. Basically,
it's the question I'm most looking forward to talking about
with you. But you are competing in five different sports,
so indoor rowing, snowboarding, swimming, wheelchair basketball, I believe, is
that right? Yeah? Correct and skeleton. So now that's a
pretty intense and unique discipline. Can you just talk us
(09:33):
through what that is for those who haven't heard it,
and what it involves and how you got into it.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
So when you apply from Victor, cis selecting you for
the team, not necessarily for a specific sport, and then
we go and we train for different sports. Now, this
is the first time that the Invictors Games are holding
a hybrid games, so it's part summer, part winter sports.
So this is all brand new for Invictus skeleton. If
(09:58):
you think of bob slid and looge and whatnot, this
one basically resembles a trolley and you're lying on your stomach.
Are you going head first down the ice? What could
possibly go wrong?
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Are you going down a full course like they're doing
bob slep?
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Yeah there is a course. I'm not sure of the
length of that course, but yeah, it is a course
at Whistla.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
But you're literally just throwing yourself head first down the ice,
absolutely trying to go as fast as you can.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
I imagine absolutely, I'm trying to be intact at the
end of it, hopefully.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
So, wow, what sport are you most excited about? And
which one are you most nervous about.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
I am definitely most nervous about skeleton. Excited. Oh my goodness,
I'm excited for all of them, but I think the
one that I'm really looking forward to being involved in
is actually the basketball because with the wheelchair basketball, that's
my only team event. So the rest of them are
more individual sports, and yeah, I mean, that's going to
(10:58):
be so much fun on its own, but the wheelchair
basketball because I'm just in a team with some incredible
people and I love being part of that. So that's
the one I'm really excited for.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
With such a variety of disciplines, how has your training
schedule looked in the lead up to the Games?
Speaker 1 (11:15):
A combination of doing as much as I can and
self preservation because as I said before, I am fifty nine.
I am aware that you know, I can injure myself,
probably a little bit easier than I could when I
was in my twenties or thirties, and recovery can be
more difficult as well. I have been very very fortunate.
Manuela Birchild at High Country Fitness in Ginderbyne. She got
(11:39):
on board with me as soon as she found out
that I was going to be competing, and she wrote
up a sensational gym program for me to cross train.
So she looked at all of my sports for me
then worked out the best way for me to train
to maximize my training days by cross training muscle groups,
et cetera for the various sports.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
What will winning look like for you at the Games? Ah?
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Great question, and when I've been asked a fair bit
coming into the Games, winning for me is at moment
I get to step into the opening ceremony with my team.
That's it. I know the stories of so many of
my teammates and their struggles and how hard they have
worked to actually get to the games. And maybe it's
because you know, I am that older, older person on
(12:27):
the team and I am the mum and the grandma,
but I'm so proud of them. So winning is going
to get to see every one of those people make
their way into the opening ceremony.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Did I see that Katy Perry is performing at the
opening ceremony?
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Absolutely? Katy Perry and Jelly Roll, So what a combination?
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Wow? Oh well, I mean that's winning right there. And look,
on top of everything we touched on it earlier, but
family is a big part of your life. You and
your husband Terry are parents of six adult children Kerry, Lee, Darren, Brady, Shane,
Shannon and Meya. And you also have no grandchildren.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
We do, we do. We welcome little baby Mason to
the family in December, so that's now the ninth grandchild.
So the girls are now outnumbered by the boys.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Well, congratulations and it obviously runs in the family as well.
Because your daughter me has also represented Australia recently at
the World University Games. You must be incredibly proud.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
I absolutely am. Unfortunately I wasn't able to be with
Mia for UNI Games in Italy. That was a trip
that got left to my husband Terry, who really no
problem with heading off to Italy for a week course. No,
incredibly proud mum of Mia and all of my kids. Sarah,
great bunch.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
You are living in the snowies now, but you've obviously
got that strong connection with Cabargo as you would absolutely
be aware. Cabargo has been through so much in recent years,
particularly after the Black Summer bush fires. How has your community,
I guess just in the South in general supported you
through this journey and what does it mean to represent
(14:05):
them on an international stage.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Yeah. Look, I have to say with some of my
family and friends who were so significantly impacted by the fires,
and comes to mind really dear friend of mine, Denise Willimson.
She's Sincerbargo, works at the post office and lost her
home during the fires. When I see what people have
(14:28):
gone through and the strength and resilience that they have,
particularly within the community in the South, it inspires me.
You know. I look at people like Denise, and I
look at people like the Alifts and the work that
they have done during the fires and posts with the
Bushfire Recovery Center, and I'm just inspired by them. So,
(14:52):
you know, they play a really significant role in me
wanting to be a better person and so striving to
do everything that I can to leave a positive mark
in the world, because I'm incredibly proud of the resilience
and the determination that they show.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Beyond competing, what do you hope your participation in the
games will inspire among other veterans or even just ozsies.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
More broadly, I think I'd like to show people that
it's never too late. Yeah, I think it's really important
that we know and understand that people go through some really,
really difficult times in life, but you know, we have
this one life and we need to make the most
of it and we keep we need to keep moving forward.
And I think that's a really important point for me,
(15:41):
is that this game, for me, is about moving forward.
And I think that's a message that I'd like to
share that we need to keep moving forward in life
and we need to live it to its fullest.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
And we wish Cindy Shawner as successful in Victus Games
and as she said, she'll feel a winner just walking
into the arena for the opening ceremony. You can follow
Cindy and the team in Canada by going to Invictisaustralia
dot org. That's all for now on Iheartfarsouth Coast, proudly
supported by the new South Wales Government. I'm James Fantasy.
Catch you next time. iHeart far South Coast.
High are far South Coast, eventually moved away, fell in love,
married to Brus. You know how the story goes.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Gooday, I'm James Fantasy. Great to be back for our
new series and I'm excited for you to meet our
next guest. She's a real inspiration to get us all
motivated for the new year. Ex Air Force Officer Cindy
Shawner is born and bred in Cabago and currently resides
just outside of Cuma, but right now she's in Canada
as one of ten New South Wales Defense Force veterans
(00:32):
within the Aussie team competing at the Invictus Games. It's
pretty widely known Prince Harry launched the Invictus Games ten
years ago, an event focusing on adaptive sports for service
personnel and veterans, those who've been wounded or injured or
are recovering from any kind of trauma related to their service.
The Games happen every two years and I was able
(00:52):
to have a good chat with Cindy before she took
off for Vancouver. And at fifty nine years young, Cindy
is the oldest Aussie team and upfront she admits she's
not the highly tuned athlete you'd expect to be donning
the Green and gold, but she has been in training
and she's going to give it a red hot crack.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
That combination of really excited, incredibly overwhelmed, but just so
humbled and blessed to be able to represent our country
and be there with my teammates and all of our
family and friends. So it's a really exciting time.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
And what made you apply for the Invictus Games.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Oh, now that's a story, James. Now, I was medically
discharged due to a range of physical and mental health
issues in twenty twenty three, and I think it wasn't
until I was discharged that I actually hit my worst.
I lost my sense of self, I lost my connections. Yeah,
you lose your career after a long time, and in
(01:51):
the military, it's very much a part of who you are.
So I felt very isolated and alone. And I found
out in early twenty twenty four that I was eligible
for the Invictus Games, and so I set that as
a new goal to try to get myself moving and
rediscover me post discharge.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Can you share a bit of your story with us.
I believe you grew up for the most part in
Cabargo but you've traveled around a lot. You eventually became
an early childhood teacher in the Northern Territory before you
joined the Royal Australian Air Force in March of nineteen
ninety nine. Can you just tell us a bit of
your backstory then?
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Yeah, I grew up in Cabago. A lot of family
and friends still down here and it was a great
place to grow up. I couldn't have asked for a
more idealic setting as a kid. Then eventually moved away,
fell in love, married, divorce, you know how the story goes.
But I went back to school as a mature age
(02:50):
student and studied education and ended up working in the
Northern Territory. And from there I joined the Air Force
via the reserves, did a small amount of time in
the reserves and then went permanent. And I've been very,
very lucky. I had a great career. I got to
travel all around the Australia with work and overseas and
that sort of led me to quite a decent lengthy
(03:13):
career and then medically discharged in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
I want to talk about the fact you were deployed
to the Middle East back in twenty ten. Can you
just tell us a little bit about what that was like.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Yeah. I deployed as a part of op's Slipper in
twenty twenty ten and that was part of a not
multinational contingent. My experience, i guess, was one of a
role where I supported people who were let's say non
successful in their deployments. So we looked after the people
who had been required to return to Australia. Whether that
(03:46):
be through performance or personal circumstances, it could be they
were compassionately returned home and a fairly significant part of
that role for me was I also looked after the deceased.
So I was Senior Military Affairs Officer for the Middle
East in twenty twenty ten. One of the other aspects
of my role was also returning our military working dogs
(04:09):
if they had been wounded or killed during their deployment.
But I had a great experience with doing the return
of a live dog, ed D Sarbi. She had been
missing in Afghanistan for over a year and when she
was discovered I was able to organize for her to
be returned to Australia. Wow.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
That must have been so powerful and meaningful to play
a part in that, and I imagine the owners were
very thrilled or I mean, does a dog like that
have owners back home or how does that work? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Look, it's an interesting one. With the military working dogs,
they are very very close to their handlers, and this
particular dog, Sabi, her handler happened to be in Afghanistan
at the time. We were looking at returning her to Australia.
So eventually Sabi made at home and she retired and
went to live with her handler until she passed away
(05:06):
a few years later. So it was a great outcome
for them.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
So, as you touched on, you were medically discharged in
June of twenty twenty three. Can you tell us a
little bit about your injuries related to your servers?
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Yeah. Looks ultimately what led to my medical separation was
PTSD and that was related to my time in the
Middle East. I think it's really important for anybody who
develops mental health injury from any aspect of their life
to talk about it. I think it's really important that
(05:40):
we sort of raise that curtain and we let people
know how to fects us, because you know, you can't
recover unless you're open about your story.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
It's interesting I don't know that many people that have served,
but the ones that I do, I feel like they
all have some element of PTSD, and generally not many
like to talk about it, but you're saying it it's
important to.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Do, so yeah, Look, it really is important because whileever
you keep things to yourself, you can't move forward. And
I'm very fortunate. I'm part of a great veterans group
in Kuma, and we sit around and we yan and
we share experiences, so that's great. But yeah, I've never
been one to shy away about putting my hand up
and seeking professional support. And I've had great support over
(06:25):
the last few years from a psychologist, and I think
that's really important because you've only got one life.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
We've just talked about the impact that just having a
conversation can have and being open and talking about things
that you've experienced. What about the role that sport has
played in your rehabilitation. Can you talk a bit to that.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
I have to be very honest about this. I hadn't
been involved in sport for a long time, and I
didn't realize how much I needed it. So when I
found out that I was eligible for the Invictus program
and I put in an application because it's something you
have to apply for for the Invictors Games. I started
setting myself some small goals, and they were goals about
(07:06):
my fitness and my nutrition, and started holding myself accountable
and just working on getting active again. And what I
found was in doing that, the more active I became,
and the more regularly and consistent I was getting out
there and engaging in physical activity, the greater the impact
it had on myself Holistically. My mental health was improving,
(07:30):
my physicality was improving, and a lot of the issues
that I was having joint pain, etc. Started to change.
Things started to really improve. So this is something I
want to keep doing. I've rediscovered sport after a very
long time away from it and I'm loving it.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
More soon from Cindy shawaner one of our Aussies at
this month's in Victus Games in Canada, and you won't
believe one of the crazy events she'll be competing at
I Art Fast South Coast. I Art Fast South Coast.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
I have just committed to sliding headfirst down an icy
path in the skeleton. What could possibly go wrong?
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Welcome back. Our guest is Cabargo's Cindy Shawner, one of
thirty three ossie X defense personnel competing at this month's
in Victus Games in a wintery Vancouver, Canada. You have
to apply it to be considered for the Games, and
Cindy's ongoing recovery from PTSD from her service in the
Middle East convinced selectors she was more than worthy of
(08:37):
the opportunity. Cindy, though, was a bit stunned. She got
in I.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Can go right back to that moment. So I got
the phone call and the head coach said that I
was going, and I've gone. I have just committed to
sliding headfirst down an icy path in the skeleton. Oh.
And I was so excited. But then I have an
overall excime of oh my god, I'm going to be
(09:02):
representing my country. This is such an amazing thing. I've
made it, you know, to be able to do this.
And then I've realized I'm going in skeleton.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Yeah, And I've been wanting to bring this up. Basically,
it's the question I'm most looking forward to talking about
with you. But you are competing in five different sports,
so indoor rowing, snowboarding, swimming, wheelchair basketball, I believe, is
that right? Yeah? Correct and skeleton. So now that's a
pretty intense and unique discipline. Can you just talk us
(09:33):
through what that is for those who haven't heard it,
and what it involves and how you got into it.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
So when you apply from Victor, cis selecting you for
the team, not necessarily for a specific sport, and then
we go and we train for different sports. Now, this
is the first time that the Invictors Games are holding
a hybrid games, so it's part summer, part winter sports.
So this is all brand new for Invictus skeleton. If
(09:58):
you think of bob slid and looge and whatnot, this
one basically resembles a trolley and you're lying on your stomach.
Are you going head first down the ice? What could
possibly go wrong?
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Are you going down a full course like they're doing
bob slep?
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Yeah there is a course. I'm not sure of the
length of that course, but yeah, it is a course
at Whistla.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
But you're literally just throwing yourself head first down the ice,
absolutely trying to go as fast as you can.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
I imagine absolutely, I'm trying to be intact at the
end of it, hopefully.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
So, wow, what sport are you most excited about? And
which one are you most nervous about.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
I am definitely most nervous about skeleton. Excited. Oh my goodness,
I'm excited for all of them, but I think the
one that I'm really looking forward to being involved in
is actually the basketball because with the wheelchair basketball, that's
my only team event. So the rest of them are
more individual sports, and yeah, I mean, that's going to
(10:58):
be so much fun on its own, but the wheelchair
basketball because I'm just in a team with some incredible
people and I love being part of that. So that's
the one I'm really excited for.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
With such a variety of disciplines, how has your training
schedule looked in the lead up to the Games?
Speaker 1 (11:15):
A combination of doing as much as I can and
self preservation because as I said before, I am fifty nine.
I am aware that you know, I can injure myself,
probably a little bit easier than I could when I
was in my twenties or thirties, and recovery can be
more difficult as well. I have been very very fortunate.
Manuela Birchild at High Country Fitness in Ginderbyne. She got
(11:39):
on board with me as soon as she found out
that I was going to be competing, and she wrote
up a sensational gym program for me to cross train.
So she looked at all of my sports for me
then worked out the best way for me to train
to maximize my training days by cross training muscle groups,
et cetera for the various sports.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
What will winning look like for you at the Games? Ah?
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Great question, and when I've been asked a fair bit
coming into the Games, winning for me is at moment
I get to step into the opening ceremony with my team.
That's it. I know the stories of so many of
my teammates and their struggles and how hard they have
worked to actually get to the games. And maybe it's
because you know, I am that older, older person on
(12:27):
the team and I am the mum and the grandma,
but I'm so proud of them. So winning is going
to get to see every one of those people make
their way into the opening ceremony.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Did I see that Katy Perry is performing at the
opening ceremony?
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Absolutely? Katy Perry and Jelly Roll, So what a combination?
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Wow? Oh well, I mean that's winning right there. And look,
on top of everything we touched on it earlier, but
family is a big part of your life. You and
your husband Terry are parents of six adult children Kerry, Lee, Darren, Brady, Shane,
Shannon and Meya. And you also have no grandchildren.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
We do, we do. We welcome little baby Mason to
the family in December, so that's now the ninth grandchild.
So the girls are now outnumbered by the boys.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Well, congratulations and it obviously runs in the family as well.
Because your daughter me has also represented Australia recently at
the World University Games. You must be incredibly proud.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
I absolutely am. Unfortunately I wasn't able to be with
Mia for UNI Games in Italy. That was a trip
that got left to my husband Terry, who really no
problem with heading off to Italy for a week course. No,
incredibly proud mum of Mia and all of my kids. Sarah,
great bunch.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
You are living in the snowies now, but you've obviously
got that strong connection with Cabargo as you would absolutely
be aware. Cabargo has been through so much in recent years,
particularly after the Black Summer bush fires. How has your community,
I guess just in the South in general supported you
through this journey and what does it mean to represent
(14:05):
them on an international stage.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Yeah. Look, I have to say with some of my
family and friends who were so significantly impacted by the fires,
and comes to mind really dear friend of mine, Denise Willimson.
She's Sincerbargo, works at the post office and lost her
home during the fires. When I see what people have
(14:28):
gone through and the strength and resilience that they have,
particularly within the community in the South, it inspires me.
You know. I look at people like Denise, and I
look at people like the Alifts and the work that
they have done during the fires and posts with the
Bushfire Recovery Center, and I'm just inspired by them. So,
(14:52):
you know, they play a really significant role in me
wanting to be a better person and so striving to
do everything that I can to leave a positive mark
in the world, because I'm incredibly proud of the resilience
and the determination that they show.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Beyond competing, what do you hope your participation in the
games will inspire among other veterans or even just ozsies.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
More broadly, I think I'd like to show people that
it's never too late. Yeah, I think it's really important
that we know and understand that people go through some really,
really difficult times in life, but you know, we have
this one life and we need to make the most
of it and we keep we need to keep moving forward.
And I think that's a really important point for me,
(15:41):
is that this game, for me, is about moving forward.
And I think that's a message that I'd like to
share that we need to keep moving forward in life
and we need to live it to its fullest.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
And we wish Cindy Shawner as successful in Victus Games
and as she said, she'll feel a winner just walking
into the arena for the opening ceremony. You can follow
Cindy and the team in Canada by going to Invictisaustralia
dot org. That's all for now on Iheartfarsouth Coast, proudly
supported by the new South Wales Government. I'm James Fantasy.
Catch you next time. iHeart far South Coast.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!