John grew up in the western suburbs near Parramatta, playing footy, learning a trade as a sparky and always wanting to become a police officer, inspired by his grandfather’s advice.

His early lessons in communication as a sparky on job sites shaped how he approached policing and helped him connect with others.

In 1997, John joined the police. He worked in various roles, including Middle Eastern Crime and property teams, developing his skills further and gaining insight into the complexities of human behaviour through building relationships, even with sources from the criminal world.

Later, he joined the child abuse squad, interviewing children and supporting families through difficult times. He learned the importance of giving children control, building trust, and bringing hope to those affected.

In 2018, while trying to protect a family, John was seriously injured during an arrest. He survived multiple stab wounds, drawing on resilience, his training, and the support of his team to recover.

Today, John is an advocate for blood donation, sharing his story to encourage others. He values service, leadership, and resilience, and continues to help people through conversation, support, and community work. He has also delivered speeches at the Police Academy and schools on his experience and how to build resilience.

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

This episode of Kintsugi Heroes was made possible with support from the Community Broadcasting Foundation. Find out more at cbf.org.au.

Serena grew up in Singapore in a home that valued stability, achievement and following a well-planned path. She studied law for its prestige and structure, later working as a lawyer for the government.

After years in a secure career, Serena realised she felt trapped by expectations and began questioning her purpose. Taking time away from work to reflect, she discovered a passion for personal growth and exploring new ideas through books and coaching.

After moving to Australia in 2006, she faced new challenges and started from scratch while raising her children and adapting to a new culture.

Serena began building supportive communities for introverts, using her own experiences to help others connect and grow in confidence. She became an introvert coach who helps quiet achievers grow into Quiet Warriors who speak, sell, and lead without acting extroverted.

She hosts The Quiet Warrior Podcast and is the Amazon bestselling author of The Hero Within: Reinvent Your Life, One New Chapter at a Time.

Serena guides and encourages others on their journey of self-acceptance, focusing on quiet strengths and making room for everyone’s voice.

Website and Social Media

Website: SerenaLow.com.au

Podcast: The Quiet Warrior Podcast with Serena Low

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/serena-low/

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

Lynn grew up in a large, devoted Mormon family, deeply connected to her great great grandfather, Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon church, and shaped by strong traditions and high expectations.

As a child, Lynn worked hard in school, followed strict family rules, and tried to live up to the “Mormon royalty” label placed on her by her community.

Then at 19, she left everything and everyone she knew and moved from Utah to Manhattan. I have an undergraduate degree in psychology and journalism and an MBA from NYU.

As she met people from outside her faith and started asking questions about her beliefs and the history she’d always been told.

After discovering new perspectives and truths, Lyn discovered that the church was based on fraud and deception and decided to leave the Mormon Church, knowing it meant she might lose her sense of belonging and family support.

Alone in New York, she struggled with doubt, loneliness, and her own identity, but slowly found support in therapy, self-help, and new friendships. Through self-reflection, Lynn learned to accept herself, heal from old wounds, and build a spiritual life that felt honest and meaningful rather than following rules.

Today, Lynn shares her experience to help others facing religious trauma, family estrangement, and big life changes, believing healing and connection are possible for everyone. She is the author of We Were Smiths: Escaping the Shadow of Joseph Smith’s Mormon Legacy, a memoir seeking publication.

Social Media

Lynsmithgregory.com, @lynsmithgregory on social media, Heretic Survivor: From Mormon to Me blog

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

Darren grew up in a military family, moving often as a child and experiencing different cultures and ways of life. As a young man, he dreamed of acting but instead served as a paramedic and police officer, always drawn to helping others.

Long years of frontline work took a toll, leading Darren to struggle with depression and eventually be diagnosed with PTSD. Life brought further challenges, including living through the Sandy Hook school tragedy, which deeply shaped Darren’s perspective on trauma and community.

After a major turning point, Darren decided to leave his policing career behind and start fresh, moving from America to Australia. He saw the power of support by sitting with others through pain, finding meaning for himself and hope for those he helped.

In his new role as the suicide prevention peer workforce education lead with Health Education and Training Institute (HETI) he will be utilising his lived/living experience related to suicide and mental health challenges and expertise in peer workforce education to inform the collaborative creation, delivery and evaluation of statewide education and training materials and programs.

He uses his story to educate and raise awareness about suicidality, suicide prevention, and mental health challenges. He believes that by sharing our stories, we can break the stigma surrounding mental illness and encourage others to seek help.

He is currently working a PhD with the University of New England and has received a scholarship from the Manna Institute to research the role of peer workers and how this emerging workforce might be expanded and made more sustainable in rural and regional communities to augment current and future mental health teams.

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

Karen was born in England to Irish parents and moved to Australia as a baby, growing up with a childhood full of change and learning to adapt to new situations.

Early on, she faced undiagnosed medical challenges with clumsiness, gastrointestinal issues and hypermobility, always feeling there was something different and relying on instinct and persistence. She lived in Northern Ireland as a young adult and England in her thirties, which gave her strength and resilience to face the difficulties that life brought her later on.

She is a resilient cancer survivor and passionate advocate whose journey with Stage 4 Cholangiocarcinoma and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome has shaped her into a powerful voice for awareness, early detection, and survivorship.

Despite enduring multiple surgeries and near-death experiences, she continues to raise awareness and funds through her Socks4Cancer initiative, which has generated over $20,000.

Karen supports numerous cancer organizations, speaks at events, and has been recognized with awards and national honours. As National Communications Coordinator for the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation Australia, she champions initiatives like "Light Australia Green," making a lasting impact through advocacy, mentorship, and her upcoming book.

Karen learned to build a trusted care team and became active in her own treatment by working together with doctors, not against them. She studied counselling and found creative therapies helpful in her journey and gradually became an advocate and motivational speaker, sharing her story to help others living with chronic illness.

Social Media

Linkedin-https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-humphries-908922b6/

Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/karenhumphrieselevationmentor/

Website-Karenhumphries .com.au

Facebook-www.facebook.com/socks4cancer

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

Steve grew up feeling different, always curious and passionate about things his friends didn’t understand. Early on, he developed a love for words and storytelling that set him apart.

As a child, Steve struggled with perfectionism and low self-esteem, not knowing he was neurodiverse. He saw the world differently and often felt isolated and misunderstood in social situations. Misdiagnosed and unsupported, Steve’s challenges with OCD and autism led to difficulty holding down jobs. He found everyday routines overwhelming and missed out on helpful guidance for much of his early adulthood.

In search of solutions, Steve made a desperate decision that resulted in prison time. The experience was harsh and lonely but also shaped his view of compassion and justice. After prison, Steve rebuilt his life from scratch. He leaned on gratitude, patience, and learned the value of resilience, slowly regaining hope and direction amidst ongoing struggles with mental health.

Discovering a passion for travel writing, Steve finally found his voice. Sharing stories became a way to process his experiences, heal, and connect meaningfully with others.

Steve has written about a wide range of topics including adventure travel, aviation and motoring - though his greatest passion has come from writing about overcoming trauma, and suicide prevention. Steve's focus is on describing the experience of depression and PTSD in ways that others recognise and then suggesting thinking strategies to better cope with these states of mind.

Today, Steve helps people stuck in trauma or exclusion. He uses his insights to support others facing hardship, showing that understanding and lived experience truly matter.

The Trauma Timeline Recovery Workbook and Course: www.reliefandhope.life

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

Nick is a 50-year-old single dad. He always wanted to join the military and dreamed of becoming a helicopter pilot. He decided instead to join the infantry and later trained as a paratrooper in Australia He was based at Holsworthy. He was eventually medically discharged after injuring his spine in a truck accident. After leaving the military, Nick moved to London. He spent five years working in the toy department at Harrods before returning home and managing a friend’s bar in Australia.

Encouraged by family, Nick joined the New South Wales Police at age twenty-seven, the same age and first station as his father. He began a long career as a first responder.

Nick saw the police force like a family business, with many parallels to his father’s experience. He valued the sense of belonging and the significance of helping others in the job.

Nick faced the challenges of mental health, repeated trauma, and the impact on relationships. He saw changes in how mental health was approached, but believed more support and education were needed.

After leaving the force, Nick founded Bellator Fortitudinum, a nationwide non-profit which evolved from a Facebook support group. The charity offers support and a safe space to first responders and advocates for better mental health care and understanding.

Social Media

Closed Facebook group Bellator Fortitudinem

www.bellatorfortitudinem.com

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

This episode of Kintsugi Heroes was made possible with support from the Community Broadcasting Foundation. Find out more at cbf.org.au.

James grew up in the north of England, earning a degree in politics and economics, working various jobs to support himself after university.

He visited Australia for the Olympics and decided to stay. He started working in recruitment, which led to opportunities and a new life here.

He thrived in the corporate world, pursuing promotions and financial success, before realising he wasn't fully satisfied or on the right path.

Throughout his life, James faced depression and anxiety, realizing through reflection and support these struggles were opportunities to grow and change.

Becoming a Dad changed James' outlook. Long-term visions of family life inspired him to pursue what truly matters and live with intention.

Finding joy in teaching and helping others, James left the corporate world to focus on coaching, using personal experiences to assist others.

Now committed to personal growth and guiding others, James prioritizes authenticity and self-understanding, creating lasting impact through his coaching and teaching efforts.

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

This episode of Kintsugi Heroes was made possible with support from the Community Broadcasting Foundation. Find out more at cbf.org.au.