Stories about growing up with disability, mental health, and what it means to see the person first. Sally Pymer was diagnosed with chronic lung disease at 19, told she’d have emphysema by 40, and spent decades running from that truth. But growing up with her brother’s severe disabilities taught her something the world forgot: how to lead with the person, not the label.
⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses addiction, grief, which some listeners may find distressing.
If you need support, you’re not alone. Help is available:
• Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au
Sally Pymer grew up in a family where disability was ordinary. Her brother had severe disabilities, her grandparents founded a school for disabled children, and at 15 she couldn’t even see that the boys at swimming club had disabilities, she just saw Jason, Scott, and Fiona. Then everything shifted.
At 19, Sally was diagnosed with chronic lung disease and told she would have emphysema by 40. She was invincible, 19, and in denial. For the next three decades, she poured that denial into triathlon and Ironman competitions, chasing the high of achievement while running from a diagnosis she refused to name. It wasn’t until years later, working as an alcohol and drug worker, that she recognised something uncomfortable: her exercise looked like their addiction. She was escaping similar things. Society celebrated hers and criticised theirs.
That insight changed everything. Sally stopped competing and started connecting. Now she hands out smile cards to strangers, sends one private voice message a day to a different person about what makes her smile about them (181 sent so far in 2026), and teaches AFL Auskick, a program that prizes inclusion over competition. She’s learned that a smile tells someone they matter, they belong, they’re accepted for who they are.
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Welcome.
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Kintsugi Heroes was created from a simple belief: every person has a story worth sharing, and sometimes the story we need to hear arrives exactly when we need it most.
Our name comes from the Japanese art of Kintsugi, where broken pottery is repaired with gold. Rather than hiding the cracks, they are honoured as part of the object’s history. We believe people are much the same. The experiences that challenge us, break us, shape us, and help us grow are often the very things that connect us to one another.
We help people tell the stories they need to share so others can discover the story they need to hear.
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#KintsugiHeroes #LivedExperience #ResiliencePodcast #GoldenThreads #DisabilityAndResilience #inclusion #stigma #mentalhealth #disability #communitycare #connection #mentalwellness
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to overlook the people around us, but making someone feel seen can have a profound impact on their mental wellness and overall sense of belonging. On the Australian podcast, Golden Threads, hosts like Sally Pymer share inspiring true stories of resilience and personal growth, highlighting the importance of kindness and empathy in our daily lives. By incorporating simple acts of kindness into our daily routine, such as exercising as a coping mechanism or sharing a listening ear, we can help create a ripple effect of mental health awareness and disability awareness. The stories shared on the Kintsugi Heroes podcast, which focuses on overcoming adversity and transformation journeys, demonstrate the power of human connection and the positive impact it can have on our mental health and anxiety levels. By taking a few moments to truly see someone today, we can inspire a sense of community and belonging, much like the real stories shared on the resilience stories podcast, and contribute to a more compassionate and supportive environment for everyone, including siblings of special needs and those on a recovery journey. So, let’s make a conscious effort to practice kindness and make someone feel seen today, and in doing so, promote a culture of mental wellness and disability awareness.