My Story
As a kid, I preferred to play sports with the boys while other girls were playing with Barbies. I was teased for being a “tomboy,” pushed around and laughed at for my buck teeth, and bullied in high school for being a lesbian. But on the field, everything was different. There, I was a star, winning trophies and titles, and bringing a certain amount of “glory” to my team. But once off the field, I continued to be rejected, and I suffered from low self-esteem.
Everything changed when I found my strength in weight training.
I realised that discipline and hard work could turn insecurity into empowerment. I threw myself into bodybuilding, eating for strength, training harder than ever, and entering competitions. Before long, I became a champion, proving to myself that with commitment and consistency, anything is possible.
Achieving this kind of empowerment was something I wanted to share, especially with those who had ever felt unseen, pushed around, or excluded. So, I became a fitness coach, helping clients in Australia, Canada, and China before building an online coaching business that now supports women around the world from my home on the beautiful island of Gili Air, Indonesia.
For years, my coaching career was thriving, and I loved helping people transform their lives. I coached thousands of people, wrote for an expat magazine, shared my expertise on CGTN, won industry awards, and organised charity events. Then cancer hit, and it changed everything.
For the first time, I was knocked down in a way I didn’t know how to handle. After all, I was Kara, the strong coach, the person who could get through anything. Suddenly, I felt broken. Who was I if I wasn’t training or coaching? Would people still see me as strong? Who would take advice from a “coach with cancer”? I felt lost and scared, wondering if I’d ever get my life back.
My battle with cancer and the road to recovery took years. But with determination, hope, and a lot of resilience, I beat cancer and slowly rebuilt my life. From my couch, I started coaching online, reaching clients all over the world. As my strength returned, I delivered a TEDx talk, spoke at international schools, and continued inspiring women to realise that no matter what life throws at them, their comeback is always possible.
” Since my full recovery, I have told my story from the TEDx stage. “
I have now written two books sharing my coaching expertise. But perhaps my proudest role is being a wife and mum to twin boys. Living my whole adult life abroad has shown me just how important it is to look after yourself while caring for everyone else. That’s why I’m so passionate about helping expat women feel strong, confident, and healthy, so they can be more present for their families without giving up the foods, travel, and lifestyle they love.
If I’ve learned anything, it’s that true strength isn’t about never falling down. It’s about finding the courage to get back up, no matter how many times life knocks you down. And that’s exactly what I’ll help you do.
