THE HEART OF MY COACHING

Who Am I?

I am the founder and creator of The Spiral Effect, and I am deeply passionate about supporting people navigating loss, change, and identity shifts they never asked for.

I do not believe a person’s value is defined by ability or productivity. Every person matters. Every story matters. And we all have something meaningful to offer — even when life looks nothing like we imagined.

For much of my life, my identity was built around physical strength and independence. I was a competitive athlete, fitness coach, and an energetic, outdoors-loving person. Running, hiking, camping, kayaking, and training others — movement was not just something I did; it was who I believed I was. From a young age, I told myself the story: I am strong. I am capable. I am an athlete. And the world reinforced that story.

Soon after I was married, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

Over time, I experienced significant loss of physical ability. I can no longer walk unaided, run, or hike. Activities that once defined my life became difficult or impossible. My world shifted — and with it, my sense of self. Losing ability meant losing identity, and that loss was deeply confronting.

As the old picture of who I was began to crumble, I felt frightened, disconnected, and unsure of my place in the world. I struggled to see value in myself beyond what I could physically do. Letting go of the identity I loved felt terrifying — yet holding onto it was slowly breaking me.

What changed everything was an unexpected moment of truth.

On my birthday, my children gave me cards filled with their honest words. They described me as loving, strong, determined, and someone who had taught them never to give up. Reading those words stopped me in my tracks. I realised I was seeing myself through a lens of loss — while they were seeing me through a lens of love.

That moment became a turning point.

I began asking myself deeper questions:
Who am I beyond ability?
What truly defines me?
And how do I want to live — now?

I came to see that while I could not control what had happened to my body, I could choose how I related to my story, my identity, and my future.

Through reflection, support, and self-compassion, I began rewriting the story of who I am — not by denying loss, but by allowing growth alongside it. I learned to honour grief without living inside it, to recognise strength beyond physicality, and to reconnect with values that had always been there.

This journey — messy, human, and deeply real — is the heart of The Spiral Effect.