After Africa with Michael Stewart (part 2/2)
Michael describes how leaving Africa for Australia brought him both emptiness and relief. Building a new life meant loss of networks and family upheaval, including divorce, yet the safety, law and order in Australia provided comfort. Michael’s passion for high-risk activities like kayaking, skydiving, and micro-lighting was driven by adrenaline and the thrill of adventure, […]
Who’s your organisation leaving out? A Conversation with DEI strategist Khayshie Tilak Ramesh
In this episode, DEI strategist Khayshie Tilak Ramesh shares her journey from a childhood experience of being “othered” to becoming a leading voice in creating more inclusive spaces. She demystifies intersectionality – how overlapping systems of oppression create unique experiences of discrimination – and explores how we can address compounded marginalisation. The conversation dives deep […]
Clinical depression and advocating for struggling men with Wayne Wigham • Connecting Seniors
Wayne’s early years were filled with rugby union and league, providing him companionship and a mental outlet. Despite personal struggles with depression, sports helped him cope. From a young age, Wayne faced debilitating depression, navigating periods of despair unseen by others. Misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment marked his early experiences with mental health systems but did […]
Building awareness and advocating for wildlife with Sandy Steers • Connecting Seniors
Sandy Steers is a biologist, energy healer, writer, and entrepreneur. With a degree in biology, she has led 14 trips to the Galapagos Islands; run the environmental educational nonprofit, Friends of Big Bear Valley, for 24 years; and written hundreds of high-engagement educational social media posts describing the lives of the local bald eagles. During […]
The importance of mindfulness, connection, & spiritual awakening with John Shearer
John had a tough childhood, surviving mental and physical abuse. Living on the streets at fourteen shaped his empathy, wisdom, and understanding of the challenges facing many men today. From truck driver to mindfulness coach, John’s story includes surviving a catastrophic accident, experiencing a spiritual awakening, and transforming years of darkness into clarity. He teaches […]
Ambiguously Brown: Navigating Mixed Identity with Zozan Balci
Zozan Balci is a researcher and author who explores the lived experiences of mixed heritage individuals navigating cultural in-betweenness. Born in Germany to Italian and Turkish migrant parents, Zozan lost her ability to speak Turkish as a child – a loss that sparked years of reflection and ultimately became the foundation of her PhD research. […]
Ian Westmoreland OAM – Founder of Kintsugi Heroes. Please support our crowdfunding campaign
Help secure the future of Kintsugi Heroes. Support our mission so storytelling, healing, and connection continue — even if Ian can’t lead. Donate to keep our stories alive. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🎙️ ABOUT KINTSUGI HEROES ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Kintsugi Heroes is a not-for-profit Australian podcast network sharing real stories of resilience, disability, and transformation. Named after the Japanese art […]
The harsh realities of caring for a loved one with Gary Watson • Connecting Seniors
Gary grew up curious and spirited, always eager to solve problems. He discovered his innate passion for helping others early on in his life. He studied business and economics and combined academic rigor with practical insights, eventually earning a doctorate. Gary entered the automotive industry, quickly rising through the ranks and became known for his […]
The healing power of compassion with Dr Petrina Barson
Petrina Barson grew up as the youngest of five girls in a loving family, surrounded by compassion and kindness. Her early life set the foundations for her caring nature. She attended a church school, learning about Christian principles and compassion. The experience shaped her guiding light, even though she did not fully embrace all its […]
Rising Strong: Resilience and Rebuilding After Cerebral Malaria with Stephenie Rodriguez
Stephenie Rodriguez is a digital strategist, entrepreneur, and passionate advocate for women’s empowerment. As an Ambassador for the Global Fund and The Women’s Resilience Centre, Stephenie leverages her voice and expertise to champion gender equality and resilience initiatives globally. Her journey is a powerful story of resilience – surviving a life-threatening battle with cerebral malaria, […]