Featuring the Women of Middlemount, Central Queensland.

This project aims to help us see our own beauty, our achievements and strengths. We celebrate our personal journey, value and appreciate the many roles we play in our family and within our community, this is the 'Way of Me'.


Welcome to the Way of Me Project - a place to connect and learn something from each other, through our strengths, differences and the paths we follow, there is beauty and admiration for every woman. I hope you find inspiration within these words and images.


Zoe is powerhouse, she is the kindest, most endearing person, and this shines through in her work as a physiotherapist. Her mannerisms and facial expressions show not only her professional knowledge but her genuine care for her clients well being. Time may not be her friend right now, with four children, a husband, running a business, clients and making time for friends as well as herself somewhere in all of that... she is stretched (and I say this kindly) but capable of finding the way to power through it all by living a fulfilled life and being someone who means alot to so many others. Any of her close friends and important people will describe her as amazing, loving, genuine, down to earth, knowledgable and busy! Even if you've just met her, these qualities are in abundance.

Thank you Zoe for taking time to be a part of this project, stepping way outside of your comfort zone and doing something just for yourself. You are an inspiration, and you are doing an amazing jobs at keeping (most) of those balls up in the air!



Zoe, Questions and Answers:


How would you describe yourself to someone who has never met you and cant see you? Plain Jane - a (I hope) friendly faced, thirty-something, mum of 4 who usually has her hair up in a blonde knot and has recently had to start wearing glasses. I didn’t realise what I had been missing!


How do you find balance? Haha what is this ‘balance’ you speak of? My life/household routine is more like a seesaw - we find balance for a second and then skyrocket or plummet past it but it always comes back to the centre eventually. I think I have finally realised that this phase of life/parenthood is just like that though so I’m ok with it.

I very much have to be a relatively upbeat extrovert in my work with talking to patients all day, so having my much needed introvert time and space is pivotal to my sanity.

My husband and I are very much equal partners so taking turns with kid pick ups and drop offs and realising when the other may need an extra hand up really helps us.

I try to cook in bulk so that it gets us through a few dinners to avoid the daily ‘what’s for dinner’ headache during witching hour and making school lunches the night before helps a lot too. My new found love for Pilates would probably be my most ‘balance’ inducing activity - being a bit more physically and mentally stronger has made it a little easier to ride the seesaw.


My job title officially is... but really my job involves ... My job title is Self Employed Physiotherapist - but really my job is Scheduler, Contractor, Treating Practitioner, Administrator, Accounts Clerk, Public Relations Officer, Patient Advocate, Cleaner & HR - I’m a questionable employee FYI. And I’m Mum - Senior minister for war and finance, caregiver, bandaid hander-outer-er, chef, cleaner, mediator etc etc etc


What motivates you? For me it’s ‘me time’ and time away - both from work and from mumming - yes I know I said that out loud! Being a small business/self employed and a healthcare provider in a small town means you never really get to clock off. Theres no such thing as ‘normal’ hours when it comes to self employed work and you really don’t ever get to take off the uniform so to speak as even when you’re at the shops or out socially, there’s a chance someone will have a question for you. Knowing I have time away in the pipeline gives me the motivation to keep providing the highest level of care I can without burning out clinically. The same goes for mumming. My husband and I try really hard to make sure the other gets their time away. For me personally, I am a much better mum and wife when I get some time to remember who I was before I was both.


A moment in your life that has helped defined you... To be honest I had never really thought about it but the answer was quick to find. Childbirth and everything to do with the newborn phase that came after it. To look back and know that I physically and mentally did that and got through that (warts and all), seems to put most other things in perspective for me these days, especially when something seems hard.


A quote that resonates or I keep coming back to... We are not the same persons, this year as last; Nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we changing, continue to love a changed person. I have loved this for a long time for not only a relationship between two people growing old together, but also relationships with friends and with oneself.

I'm grateful for... My relationship with my family. Family is everything to me.


My best features are... I like to think making people feel ok. My job means that I see most people when they’re feeling at their worst. They’re in pain, they’re feeling down, their sleep or function is affected and their normal day to day is currently not so normal. On top of that, I’m about to tell them that they will need to do homework in order to have the best outcomes. Believe me if I had a magic wand to instantly fix everything I would! I try to explain things in a little more of a ‘real life’ perspective using every day examples rather than medical or clinical jargon and I feel like this helps to get the ‘why’ and ‘how’ across a little better when it comes to injuries. Not all the time, but I like to think more often than not. For example, maintenance on a vehicle and what happens when you don’t do it for a while!


I love my... I definitely don’t hold it all together and I’m a master at dropping balls. A very good friend shared the perfect analogy for this just the other day which was a lightbulb moment for me. It was about rubber balls and glass balls and knowing when to drop the rubber ones because they’ll bounce up again on their own. It’s better than trying to keep them all in the air and dropping a glass one. I think my strength is the ability to realise it’s normal to not have it together all the time and that’s ok. I suppose it’s a bit of an anti-hero strength but I think it’s better than falling in a heap. I know that I can’t do it all well, I can just do the best I can do.


I'm working on... My imposter syndrome. I feel severely under-qualified in every day life including professionally, personally and socially - I am just waiting to for the rest of the world to catch on. I’m working hard on this one.


My days usually look like this... Absolute Chaos. Like the pizza/dinner scene from the start of Home Alone just before Kevin gets left behind. I haven’t forgotten a child though…. Yet.


I dream of... overseas travel.


My worst habits are... Procrastinating - but ironically also not ‘doing nothing’ when given the chance to sit still and wind down. I always feel like there is something I should be doing instead.


I feel balanced when... I’m doing Pilates. I wish I’d started a decade ago.


How do you measure success, wins, fulfilling times? My ‘calm’ and my children’s happiness. We are a chaotic household on the best of days so when I actually feel calm, even amongst the chaos, I figure everything is ok. And my children’s happiness. When you’re watching them and they look like they couldn’t be happier, even on a day I feel like I wasn’t the prettiest of parents, then I figure I must have got something right that day/week/minute.


I would tell my younger self this advice/lesson/truths... Don’t strive for others approval. It’s hard enough maintaining your own happiness so concentrate on that. It’s far more important.


What did you want to be when you grew up? A Paediatric Physiotherapist - specifically working with children with disabilities. I was fortunate enough to have that opportunity straight after Uni and had the privilege of working with the most fantastic kids and their families.

If you had to choose one fictional character from a book/show/movie to represent you, who would it be (This can also be who you strive to be more like) I strive to be more like Carrie from Sex and the City. Not the drama version. The fabulous, relatively carefree, fashionable, 40-something version with great shoes.


High repeat things: Cacio e Pepe - I think I’ve got my recipe down to a fine art and it’s the whole familys’ favourite comfort food now.

Zombie by the Cranberries - I didn’t realise just how much it was on repeat until I noticed Lily has a specific head bob for it and the boys know it word for word.

Favourite Book at the moment - Maybe you should talk to someone - Lori Gottlieb. It’s funny, fantastic and very thought provoking.

Snack food - Apples - I always start the day with at least one in my bag

My ‘Happy Place’ Food - Antipasto and Prosecco. I usually have them on hand incase someone pops over.


Bucket list top 5?

I would love to do a family snow ski trip when the kids are a little older.

I want to see the northern lights.

I want to walk the Carrick-a-rede bridge again with Will

I hope to watch each of our children graduate, grow up and grow old.

One day when the kids are grown, I would love to live in Europe for a couple of months to immerse myself in the culture.


If money was no object where would you live and what would you do? In an alternate universe and much to Wills’ disgust (he’s an Aussie-steak-and-chips man through and through!) it would be in Europe. More than likely flitting between Italy and Ireland with the whole family with me of course. I would just travel and eat my way around the country, wandering through the streets and taking in their history. My idea of heaven.


A book or movie that every woman should read/watch is... Ps I love you. I love it as much today as the day it was released - for when you need a good cry, laugh or a bit of perspective.


I'm proud of these achievements... The family I have built together with Will. Even when they are hell bent on driving me absolutely nuts.


Someone local you admire? Julia Lambie. Anybody who knows her will understand why. As a mother, as a professional, as a community member and as a friend. There is nobody quite like her.


A message to other women... Don’t compare. What something looks like from the outside isn’t always the case so don’t compare yourself to others.


A message to myself.... Breathe.


Anything else to add? I’m not going to lie, my immediate response to the nomination was going to be ‘Thank you so very much for the opportunity but I will have to say no’. Thank you for making me step out of my comfort zone Kim x