Personal
Background

I grew up living a transient life, moving often throughout my childhood and teenage years. The one constant I had during that time was sport. No matter what school I attended or what club I joined, the rules stayed the same. Sport became a place of familiarity and belonging—it helped me adapt quickly, connect with people, and build friendships wherever I landed.

Living with constant change shaped me early. I became adaptable, learning how to settle into new environments, new homes, and new communities. Over time, I stopped fearing change and began to expect it, even looking forward to the fresh start that each move brought.

During my teenage years, I spent time in small-town Aotearoa before relocating to Cairns, North Queensland, where I completed high school. While living in Australia, I stayed with my father, who struggled with addiction and alcoholism. Those years were challenging, but they deeply influenced the way I understand resilience, survival, and the realities many whānau face behind closed doors.

In my late teens, I returned home to Tāmaki Makaurau ki te uru. I had to rebuild my sense of belonging again—creating a new social network while navigating grief, including the death of my father to suicide and the ongoing absence of my mother. These experiences strengthened my ability to move through loss while still showing up for life and community.

As an adult, motherhood became one of my greatest teachers. In my late twenties, I was blessed with a beautiful baby girl who shifted my world and grounded me in purpose. Not long after, I met my Niuean partner, and together we blended our whānau—welcoming his daughter into our lives, and later having our son. Today, our family is at the heart of everything I do.

My story has shaped how I walk in the world: with empathy, grit, and a deep commitment to whānau, community, and creating pathways where our people can thrive.