The Story.

If you were offered an adventure of a lifetime without any guarantees, would you take it? In August 2005, somewhere between Los Angeles and Sydney, I was offered a job that changed the course of my life forever! At fourteen and a half hours, I aced the longest job interview of my life and was now embarking on a journey that I never knew existed.

Telling stories has always been a big part of my life. I started working in the television industry at fourteen. For the next four years, I spent most of my afternoons at my community television channel as well as a local production company. I produced award winning community service programs from fire safety shows to News, Documentaries, Radio and Television Commercials.

After graduating high school, I started to fulfil my love of adventure and storytelling by attending American University. There were museums on every corner and experts in every field at my fingertips! Washington DC fit my personality and I thrived! After returning from the World Capitals Program in London, I accepted a position with the former political media advisors of the Clinton White House. Whilst there, I also looked after some of the Kennedy Clan. Then, in 2002, I graduated with a Bachelors in Visual Media and a minor in American Political Science.

For the next three years, I was an Avid editor for the Discovery Channels, NBC News and CBS News. As my final project before my whirlwind journey around the world, I took the roll as online Avid editor for The Five Keys to Mastery documentary.

Since leaving Washington DC, I have worked in all facets of the television industry.  From building professional broadcast edit systems, to creating network brand campaigns and launching Australia’s very first internet channel, HealthyMEtv!

Sure, I’ve been busy, but I’ve also been eager to take time out and travel. In 2013, I left the stability of my producing position at the Seven Network to travel around rural Australia to see, first hand, what it really means to be a true blue Aussie battler!  I spent time in Coober Pedy where it’s so incredibly hot the locals actually live underground in working Opal mines. I also went SCUBA diving with Great Whites sharks off the coast of Port Lincoln, South Australia.

 A few years ago, I made an epic journey across America in a van for 44 days and then lived with a tribe of former head-hunters in the Kelabit highlands of Borneo. These are some of the greatest adventures of my life but nothing can top the time I spent with NASA and ESA.

Just a few years ago, I attended NASASocial which is a social media program designed by NASA that invites social media influencers from all around the world to meet scientists, Astronauts and engineers to discuss all things space! NASASocial gave me the opportunity to get up close to the SpaceX CRS-5 launch. This is where I experienced, first hand, what it takes to pull off a rocket launch. This social event was a meeting of the minds of some of the biggest NASA cheerleaders in the world! Since then, I have covered a wide range of NASA and ESA events as a social media journalist all around the globe.  Here are just some of the events I have covered over the years: #Sentinel2Go, #CYGNSS, #OrbitalATK, #ULA, SpaceX, #ExoMARS, #SpaceUpIE, #SpaceUpISU #Sentinel5P, #SSP17 and #IAC2017. 

 Just last year, I  finished a three month solo adventure around Ireland with nothing more than a bicycle and my wits! I called it #AroundIrelandOnAPushie all whilst writing about it though social media and Taraustralis.com! During the adventure, my story was even picked up by the mainstream media! I have since given 29 radio interviews across four countries and even had features on national television and newspapers all around the world.  I was also incredibly honoured to tell my story at Dublin’s Trinity College! My hash tag, #AroundIrelandOnAPushie, trended on Twitter as the #4 most discussed topic in all of Ireland for the day! Even the Australian Ambassador to Ireland was in attendance for my presentation! The bicycle is now retired and hanging from the rafters of Rising Sons Brewery in Cork, Ireland!  I have also written a book titled Completely Craic’d: The Girl who went #AroundIrelandOnAPushie.

I was also fortunate enough to be invited back to Cork, Ireland where I became a part of the External Relations team for the International Space University and Cork Institute of Technology. I was able to use my ninja producing skills to help wrangle Astronauts as well as manage multiple public events.   I also wrote, edited, produced and directed content for the multiple SSP17 channels and used my branding skills to raise their social media profile from 45 million to 105 million impressions.

Now, I’ve embarked on another adventure which has brought me back home to Sydney!