I was born in Sydney in 1980. I grew up in Brisbane and am the older of two girls. I was born a sportswoman and spent most of my childhood and teenage years competing at State and National levels.
I loved all sports but the one I excelled at the most was athletics, in particular the javelin event. I dreamt of competing for Australia at the Olympics.
When I was 19 I moved back to NSW to train fulltime for sport. I continued to improve in my National ranking and was working hard to achieve my dream. Then I had the chance to go to Africa as a volunteer, at the same time as I had the chance to compete in the Olympic trials for Sydney 2000. I chose Africa, thinking that I was focusing on the Athens Olympics in 2004 and that I would just take a few months off sport and then come back to it.
I spent one month volunteering at a homeless shelter for kids with the Canossian Daughters of Charity in Tanzania. At the time I had no desire of becoming a Sister. I was very committed to my career as a sportswoman and was half way through my university degree as a physical education teacher. Yet, in Tanzania, walking on African soil, my life was changed completely. I was struck by the poverty of the people, coupled with their unbelievable joy. Surrounded by such immense poverty, I felt helpless. Then I realised the only thing I could do was to try and make a small difference to a few people. I decided that my life of being self-centered and focusing on my own sport and success was not what God wanted for me. I knew that I radically loved Jesus and wanted to give my life completely to serving His people. Back in Australia, I dreamt of returning to Africa one day. Through the grace of God, that has become His dream for me.
I began the journey of Religious life in 2001 as a postulant with the Canossian Daughters of Charity. I made my first profession in 2005. I am still a temporarily professed sister. From 2004-2008 I worked as a teacher at St Jame’s College, a Christian Brothers School in Brisbane. In 2008, I left Australia to travel to Italy for three months of missionary formation. From Italy, I was sent to Africa to serve as a missionary sister in 2009.
Currently, I live in a village in Malawi called Balaka, eastern Africa. During 2010 I worked as the Principal of Bakhita Technical College for male and female students once they complete secondary school. In September 2010, I became the Headmistress of a Boarding School for 400 girls run by the Canossian Sisters. We are four Sisters working in the school and it is full of many challenges. But we try our best to make Jesus known and loved amidst the girls entrusted to our care.
Religious life isn’t easy. Sometimes you have doubts. Sometimes it’s not easy to keep going. When things get tough, I tend to place things in the hands of God even more, surrendering to Him all that I have and all that I am. And every time He shows me in different ways that He is the one in control, that His grace and mercy are more than enough. So the continued presence of God on the journey is the only confirmation I need.
I was once very committed to sport. Very focused on my dream of being an Olympian. Very competitive. Very determined to achieve. And while the way I live out these qualities is very different now, I still believe I use my commitment and dedication and determination in living out my vocation as a Religious.
The dream I chase might be a different one now, but I’m conscious that each day I want to passionately give all of myself to becoming all that God calls me to become.