mental health – Page 3 – Michmutters

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Australia

Adelaide couple turns property into Joanna Life Skills Centre, refuge for vulnerable people

A man and woman lean against a wooden fence post smiling.

Carol Coleman had been dreaming for years when she stumbled on the rundown church campsite that is now the Joanna Life Skills Centre.

Her husband Rob was passing through the small farming area in South Australia’s Coonawarra region for work when he spotted it.

Once Carol saw it, their Adelaide life as they knew it changed forever.

“I was hysterical. All I could see was people in a safe place, warm in bed and with food in their mouths. And that was just so important to me,” Ms Coleman said.

“It wasn’t a choice. It was like this has been shown to us. We have to do it. We just have to do it.”

When they bought the site in 2017, its 12 buildings, with 42 bedrooms, had been vacant for two years and were in need of desperate repair.

It didn’t matter.

“When you’re working in mental health and you see the terrible situations that people are in, you look at a place like this and think ‘this place can make a big difference’,” Ms Coleman said.

Trees and grass surround a white building.
There are 12 buildings on the property including a recreation room, commercial kitchen, and seven housing blocks.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

“So we packed up and we’re here.”

Over the years, they’ve chipped away at renovations, getting the place up to a good living standard for the people with disabilities and mental health needs that come to stay.

The NDIS registered service looks after 15 people at any one time. Most visit for two weeks to “catch their breath”, while others have stayed 12 months.

While there, visitors help clean and look after the animals. They have the opportunity to learn life skills like cooking and changing a tire.

“The whole idea is that they can look after themselves at the end of it all,” Mr Coleman said.

“While they’re vulnerable, they can be here. And when they’re a little more settled, they can go elsewhere and enjoy their life.”

Two chairs with rugs on them sit by a window, a table with cosmetics and nail polish between them.
Carol has created a pamper room for visitors to relax in.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

Vision for the site

Carol Coleman isn’t afraid of vulnerable people. Before studying as a nurse, her mother’s trade de ella, she worked as a cleaner at Glenside Psychiatric Hospital in Adelaide.

“Back in the 80s, people were looked after really well,” Ms Coleman said.

“It was once people started to be moved out into the community that people really started to struggle.”

While some residents who went into homes received lifetime support, Ms Coleman said others didn’t.

A few guitars and drums sit on a carpeted floor next to a piano.
There’s lots to keep people busy at the center.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

“I remember one particular lady was placed in a house across the road from me. She only used the lounge room and the toilet because she was too scared to go into the other rooms,” Ms Coleman said.

“She was a paranoid schizophrenic.

“She ended up walking out in front of cars because she was so distressed.”

Ms Coleman doesn’t know where she ended up.

“It’s people like that you just want to wrap your arms around and go, ‘you can be safe here. You don’t have to be frightened anymore’,” Ms Coleman said.

“There are thousands of people in situations that it’s just cruel to them.

“It’s not something to look down on, it’s something to open people’s eyes and go, ‘How can we help?'”

A worn basketball court surrounded by lawn and gum trees.
The basketball court at Joanna Life Skills Centre.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

While the center may be Carol’s vision, Rob is just as involved.

His experience managing waste transfer systems for 45 years has been put to good use.

“I find managing people in local government is pretty much the same in managing people here,” Mr Coleman said.

“Everyone has problems. It’s about transferring those skills of dealing with people over to dealing with people on a day-by-day basis.”

Learning life skills

Molly is using the center to catch her breath after a tough divorce.

During her month there, she has enjoyed coloring in, playing puzzles, going to the recreation room, and feeding Rosie the lamb.

“I like it here. It’s much calmer,” Molly said.

“Being in Mount Gambier was so stressful, I was so stressed all the time. I just couldn’t cope. But being here, I love it.”

A woman in jeans and a hoodie sits on some grass patting a lamb.
Getting to know lamb Rosie has been one of the highlights of Molly’s stay.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

Lately, she’s been busy preparing for her first prom later this month. The Colemans are taking her from her.

“They encourage me not to give up on things. If I say I don’t want to, they say, ‘come on. You can do it’,” Molly said.

“They’re really sweet and kind and caring for me.”

Required to help look after the grounds, Molly has taken to her new responsibilities well.

“It’s all part of normal life. If they’re going to leave here and go and find their own place to live, they’ve got to be able to look after what they’ve got,” Mr Coleman said.

A woman wearing jeans and a hooded jumper holds a rake smiling.
Molly making herself useful.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

Five years in the making

The work on site continues. In five years, they’ve managed to renovate most of the accommodation — adapting 42 small bedrooms to fewer but larger rooms with more living spaces and wet areas.

“It’s taken us a long time. Two people can only work so fast. And then you have to have the funds to buy materials,” Ms Coleman said.

“It’s been a hard slog but it’s absolutely worth it.”

A man walks into a small weatherboard building on an overcast day.
Rob has turned an old school building on the site into a functioning gym. He just needs to clad the outside.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

They were able to fund the project early on by accommodating local meatworkers.

“We were contacted by Regional Development when we arrived,” Ms Coleman said.

“That was like a gift from heaven because they basically gave us the opportunity to establish the place. We housed probably 140 workers over two years.”

A horse stands eats at some grass.
Various animals call the center home.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

future hopes

The Colemans plan to keep adding facilities to the site — like a woodworking shed and community garden.

“The property’s huge. We have to use it,” Ms Coleman said.

Whilst clients can already access occupational therapist, dietitian and physiotherapist support at the center, the couple hopes for more services.

“In the future, it needs to be a one-stop-shop so that people have got all the support around them that they need,” Ms Coleman said.

“These people are humans, they’ve got a whole lot of needs. And it takes an army to fill those needs.”

A pool table and billiards table sit in a large hall with a TV and other games.
Those staying are encouraged to enjoy the recreation room.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

Having extra staff around is also crucial for lightening the couple’s load.

They have had just one day off in five years but it’s a price they’re willing to pay.

“This is our retirement,” Ms. Coleman said.

Mr Coleman said people tended to stay in contact after they left the centre.

“Carol often gets a couple of phone calls a day from past ones that have been here. And they just check in, say hello,” he said.

“Sometimes they might not be feeling that great. And a chat for five minutes is enough to keep them on track.”

A man and woman stand on a dirt road surrounded by trees, laughing.
Rob and Carol Coleman are committed to being here for the long haul.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

After the implications of renovations and COVID-19, the Colemans say they’re ready to take on more visitors.

“We’ve been under the radar for some time,” Ms Coleman said.

“For a place this big with so many opportunities, people need to know that we’re here.”

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Categories
Australia

Family of Canberra woman Bronte Haskins called on ACT coroner to find several people failed her in the lead up to her suicide

A woman holds a framed picture of her daughter.

The family of Canberra woman Brontë Haskins has asked the ACT coroner to make adverse findings about several people involved in her case before and after her suicide in 2020.

Ms Haskins, 23, died in hospital after several days on life support.

Her death came while she was on bail after a stint in jail for drug driving.

Ms Haskins had suffered both substance abuse and mental illness, something her mother said was not taken seriously enough by authorities.

In the lead-up to her death she had been staying at her mother’s home, while she was on bail.

A coronial inquest into Ms Haskins’s suicide heard her mother called police and mental health services when she became delusional, believing the unit where she was staying was a gas chamber.

Several issues have been raised in the case before the ACT Coroner’s Court, including the family’s claim that a mental-health nurse failed to give the case the priority it required and failed to follow up a call from Ms Haskins’s mother, Janine.

Lawyer Sam Tierney who represented Ms Haskins’s family referred to the staged triage system — where category A is the most serious, and category G requires more information — when criticizing the way the case was handled by mental-health nurse Karina Boyd.

A young woman relaxes in a hammock as she cuddles a large smiling dog.
The inquest heard Brontë Haskins’s case was not triaged correctly.(Supplied)

“Had Ms Boyd not incorrectly triaged Brontë as category G, Brontë would have more likely than not been assessed face to face by a trained mental-health clinician within 72 hours and certainly prior to her death,” Mr Tierney said.

Counsel assisting the coroner Andrew Muller also took aim at the way the case was triaged.

“Brontë should have been assessed as a category C or D, resulting in some urgent follow-up,” Mr Muller said.

“What is material is that, on any view of the available information, Brontë was incorrectly assessed for triage purposes.”

Mr Muller has recommended an overhaul of the triage system.

But in its submissions, the ACT defended Ms Boyd’s decision, saying she had not been able to speak to Ms Haskins and her only contact was with her mother.

“She had been told that the AFP had been called and she assumed that the police would contact her if they thought Brontë needed a risk assessment or mental-health service,” the territory submissions said.

Court hears CCTV footage of minutes before attempt to take life missing

A young woman smiles at the camera while cuddling a big black dog.
Ms Haskins’s family have called for greater transparency in passing on confidential details after the death of a mental health service user to the Coroner’s Court.(Supplied)

Another key issue was the fact police returned a CCTV recorder to Brett French, an associate of Ms Haskins, at whose home she had tried to take her life.

The court heard about 45 minutes of footage which may have shed light on the events leading up to her death was deleted

Court documents showed Mr French had admitted showing some of the CCTV to another man.

Mr Tierney told the court the family wanted an adverse finding against Mr French for his “callous” treatment of Ms Haskins on the day of her death.

Mr Tierney also identified the behavior of police investigating the death as an issue.

“A proper investigation and analysis of the CCTV recorder may have disclosed further and important information to the coroner to assist in the process of considering Brontë’s death,” he said.

He has called for a recommendation that will send a message to the AFP about the handling of coronial exhibits.

The inquiry has also looked into the management of Ms Haskins’s case and whether further detention could have prevented her death.

Mr Muller said there was evidence of better communications about her could have helped.

“Had Brontë been stopped the outcome may, of course, have been different,” Mr Muller said.

“But there was no proper reason she could be stopped.”

Other recommendations being sought by Ms Haskins’s family include greater transparency in passing on to the Coroner’s Court confidential details after the death of a mental health service user, recording of calls to the mental health line, audits of the triage system, and better information to be passed to AFP officers called to incidents.

Coroner James Stewart said he would take some time to hand down his findings.

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Categories
Australia

Harley Thompson found not criminally responsible for fatal Bomaderry house fire

Man sits outside patting a dog

New South Wales South Coast man Harley Thompson, accused of murdering his neighbor in a house fire, has been found not criminally responsible for the death.

The 27-year-old sat in the Mid North Coast Correction Center in Kempsey watching the verdict via a video link today as it was read in the Nowra Supreme Court.

Wearing prison greens with a shaven head and mullet, he was quiet and still through the proceedings.

Mr Thompson initially lied to police about starting the fire on July 31, 2020, but later acknowledged that he did.

Cameron Johnston, 49, was killed in the fire.

Mr Thompson had repeatedly threatened Mr Johnson at his Bomaderry house on the night of the fire, smashed windows and yelled profanity-laden abuse at the man he did not know.

Phone records show Mr Johnson had called police and his housing provider on the night to report what was happening and that he and his son were “scared with just about every window smashed.”

Mr Thompson then “chucked” petrol through the windows of the house and set fire to the curtains.

Neighbors gave evidence that they heard Mr Johnston’s son scream “Dad, dad, dad” and a short time later heard Mr Thompson yell “Burn ****, burn”.

They said he later laughed while almost sounding excited.

An autopsy found Mr Johnston died from carbon monoxide toxicity and had suffered burns to multiple areas of his body.

Mr Thompson’s lawyers said during a trial over the past couple of weeks that he was not responsible for the crime because he had a mental health impairment.

Prosecutors argued he had feigned his symptoms.

the exterior of a brick court building with an arched entrance
The Supreme Court verdict was delivered in the Nowra Courthouse.(ABC Illawarra: Ainslie Druitt-Smith)

‘Satisfied’ with defense of mental health

In his verdict, Justice Michael Walton said he accepted the evidence provided by two expert psychiatrists as well as clinical assessments.

They diagnosed Mr Thompson with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder or depression with psychotic features.

It created severe delusions and auditory hallucinations.

One expert suggested the symptoms had presented when Mr Thompson was admitted to hospital in Victoria in November 2019.

Dr Andrew Ellis gave evidence that Mr Thompson’s symptom of echo des Pensée, which he described as “a very technical psychiatric term of hearing your own thoughts spoken out loud”, was not identified at the time.

Justice Walton told the court having considered all the evidence he was “satisfied that the defense of mental health impairment is established”.

“I have experienced temporary or ongoing disturbances of thought, perception, mood and mostly likely memory,” Justice Walton told the court.

“The disturbances were regarded by the experts as significant for clinical diagnostic purposes and the disturbances significantly impact judgement.”

He said while Mr Thompson also had a substance abuse problem, his impairment was his underlying mental health condition.

“I am satisfied that the accused knew of the nature and the quality of his act but did no reason with a moderate degree of sense and composure about whether the act, as perceived by a reasonable person, was wrong,” Justice Walton said.

“The verdict that will be entered on the indictment is ‘act proven but not criminally responsible’.”

A victim impact statement from Mr Johnston’s son, who was watching the verdict via the video link, was presented but not read aloud in the court.

“I express the condolence of the court and the community to the family and friends of Mr Johnston and in particular Mr Johnston’s father, brother and son,” Justice Walton said.

The Justice ordered Mr Thompson be detained and held under the supervision of the Mental Health Review Tribunal because of his history of escalating mental illness.

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Categories
Sports

Ariarne Titmus says media scrutiny around Kyle Chalmers had potential to impact the whole team

Ariarne finishes a race with a serious expression on her face.

As the curtain closed on another stellar Commonwealth Games swimming campaign from the Australian Dolphins, one of the stars of the team has revealed how Kyle Chalmers’s unwanted media attention and mental health struggles had rippled through the squad she describes as “a family.”

“I think we all kind of feel part of it,” said Ariarne Titmus, moments after winning her fourth gold medal of the week, for the 400m Freestyle.

“Because we are all so close, we are such a close team, and I think that’s why we perform so well, because we have each others’ backs.

“I think it potentially can affect us emotionally because they’re our friends, they’re teammates. We’re like a family and we don’t like seeing people upset and put through durations.

“And we’ve come out here and done our best and done our country proud and I think the swimming does the talking. We’ve killed it this week and I hope that Australia is proud of our performance and we’ve done our absolute best for the country and we’re going to go home with some extra luggage.”

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Categories
Sports

Kyle Chalmers feeding Emma McKeon, Cody Simpson drama says Johanna Griggs

Kyle Chalmers feeding Emma McKeon, Cody Simpson drama says Johanna Griggs

Former Australian swimmer turned popular TV presenter Johanna Griggs says Kyle Chalmers is “feeding” the very headlines he’s railed against at the Commonwealth Games as she issued a reality check about the media’s role in covering sport.

The swimming star has blasted the media in Birmingham, accusing it of focusing on “clickbait” rather than the impressive results of our men and women in the pool.

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There have been reports and speculation about an icy dynamic within the Dolphins camp, sparked by the relationship between Chalmers, Emma McKeon and Cody Simpson.

Chalmers and McKeon were romantically linked last year and now the 28-year-old superstar is dating Simpson — who is competing in England as part of his first ever Australian team since ditching his music career and returning to competitive swimming.

The trio have repeatedly denied their relationship has caused any friction.

Chalmers cast doubt on his future in the sport if what he called “fake headlines” continued to be thrust into the spotlight, saying the media doesn’t understand the impact his stories have on athletes’ mental health.

However, Griggs — who won a backstroke bronze medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games — says Chalmers is only giving the story more oxygen by continually mentioning it in interviews and on social media.

“The only person who is going to potentially derail (his campaign) — although it certainly didn’t look like it this morning in his 100m freestyle — could be Kyle himself,” Griggs told Sydney’s 104.9 Triple M Breakfast with MG, Jess & Pagey.

“He seems to be feeding it, which is the ironic situation with all these sorts of things.

“You can’t just expect the headlines to always be great. You have to accept that occasionally they might be about other people and sometimes they may not necessarily show you in the same light.

“Do I think they (the headlines) are affecting Emma McKeon? Absolutely not.

“She’s amazing, right. So she’s proven, without question, that she is able to compartmentalize whatever’s going on.

Johanna Griggs dropped some truth bombs on Kyle Chalmers.
Johanna Griggs dropped some truth bombs on Kyle Chalmers.Source: Supplied
Chalmers is swimming brilliantly despite his concerns. Picture: Michael KleinSource: News Corp Australia

Griggs, who is part of Channel 7’s team covering the Games, also suggested the freestyle king needs to accept headlines aren’t always going to be positive in the world of professional sport.

“I think it would be tedious for them, being asked about it non-stop,” Griggs told Triple M.

“If you’re a tennis player, that happens not only at every major tournament, it happens at every press conference, it happens at every week — same as the footballers, week in, week out.

“It’s the reality of sport so I’m hoping Kyle stops feeding it.

“I get he’s feeling incredibly swamped at the moment. Every time he mentions it, he makes it a bigger story.”

Chalmers has won gold medals in Birmingham as part of Australia’s mixed relay team and in the 4x100m men’s freestyle relay.

After his impressive swim in the heats of the individual 100m freestyle event, the 24-year-old was asked how he was feeling.

“Terrible. Terrible. It’s been probably the hardest 12 hours in my sporting career for sure,” he said. “It is extremely hard. Extremely challenging.

“When you’re on the other side of the world and don’t have your direct support network around you it’s already hard enough, let alone last night.”

Chalmers was referring to the previous day’s press conference, which was stopped after a barrage of questions about his dynamic with Simpson and McKeon.

He said the way the situation has unfolded left his mum in tears when they spoke after the relay victory.

“I really feel I don’t deserve any of that and to be honest with you, it makes me question why I do this sport and where my future lies going forward,” Chalmers said.

“I don’t want any of this. I swim because it’s what I’m good at. I love swimming. I love being part of the Australian swimming team. Standing up in front of big crowds and swimming fast, but I don’t want the rest of it.

“And for me it’s taking too much of a toll on my mental health. It embarrasses me that my family, my grandparents have to sit down and read the stuff that gets put in the media.

“It upsets me that I have to go home to my mum crying on FaceTime to me.”

Emma McKeon’s relationship with Cody Simpson has generated plenty of headlines. Picture: Emma McKeon/InstagramSource: Supplied

He may be upset out of the water but in the pool, Chalmers looks as classy as ever. The South Australian — who won 100m freestyle gold at the Rio Olympics and silver at last year’s Tokyo Games — is eyeing off another medal in his pet event this week.

Chalmers crushed his 100m freestyle semi-final on Monday morning, touching the wall first and setting a new Commonwealth Games record time of 47.36 seconds.

Australian swimming champion Cate Campbell is working for Channel 7 in Birmingham and praised Chalmers for how he’s handling things during their poolside interview on Monday morning, before talk turned to his tattoos and what they symbolize.

“I’ve had three heart surgeries, I have a chain (tattoo) that is broken because my heart was holding me back and now it’s fixed,” Chalmers said.

“I’m the lion (tattoo) that’s broken out. So yeah, that’s a special one for me.”

Chalmers added he’s been brilliantly supported by those closest to him.

“I don’t have anything else to say, it’s rough,” he said. “It’s been a whirlwind. It’s nice to swim fast. I think it’s easy to put on a brave face and smile. It’s hard, it’s very hard.

“The team has been amazing.

“I just wanted to put my headphones on and switch off and not talk, (but) all of my teammates, coaches and staff coming up and saying they are there for me has been really special. I wouldn’t have been able to get through it without my teammates.

“I’m not a robot. We have feelings, we have emotions, we’re no different than anyone else. We struggle a lot, mental health is a huge thing in sport.”

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Categories
Australia

The 1997 Thredbo disaster remembered 25 years on, skiers to commemorate landslide by carrying flares down the mountain

Play Video. Duration: 2 minutes 17 seconds

Mark Pigott remembers the cries of black crows breaking a heavy silence after the Thredbo disaster.

Pigott, an Olympic skier, watched from afar as rescue workers searched through rubble in the days after the landslide that claimed 18 lives at the ski resort in July 1997.

“Whenever they thought they could hear something, they went: ‘Hush, hush, hush’,” he says.

“You could hear a pin drop across the resort. Often the only thing you could hear [were] the black crows.”

Stuart Diver carried away after rescue
Ski instructor Stuart Diver was the only survivor. He was rescued after many hours of tunneling through unstable debris to where he was trapped under concrete slabs.(ABC News (video still))

Pigott — who competed in acroski at the 1992 Winter Olympics — was in Thredbo and Perisher for training at the time of the landslide, which decimated two ski lodges just before midnight on July 30.

While staying at the nearby town of Jindabyne, Pigott was woken up by a dawn phone call from his father.

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Categories
Sports

Chelsea Hodges’s bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham is the sweetest success after a difficult 12 months

swimmer chelsea hodges smiles while holding up her commonwealth games bronze medal

Sometimes it’s not about winning, it’s just about getting in the pool.

And Chelsea Hodges’s bronze medal in the women’s 50 meter breaststroke was proof of that.

“The last 12 months have been really hard,” she told ABC Sport.

“Just to come back to do that swim, no words for it. I’m just incredibly proud of myself.”

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Categories
Australia

Port Macquarie early risers brave winter ice baths for better physical and mental health

Port Macquarie early risers brave winter ice baths for better physical and mental health

Francine Nunnari admits jumping into a freezing cold ice bath on a crisp winter’s morning sounds “crazy.”

“Who would want to start doing ice baths in the middle of winter? I really thought it would just be me.”

But, to her surprise, a growing group of like-minded strangers have started joining her to brave the cold every Wednesday morning in New South Wales.

“It’s turned into something quite beautiful, meeting up with the community and pushing through self-limitations,” Ms Nunnari said.

A woman in a black t-shirt smiles happily on a beach in front of some portable baths
Francine Nunnari started the weekly ice bath sessions at the beginning of winter.(ABC Mid North Coast: Madeleine Cross)

Port Macquarie Beach, Breath and Ice Group gather at Port Macquarie’s popular Flynns Beach before sunrise.

Ms Nunnari guides them through peaceful, yet important, breathing exercises before preparing for the ultimate challenge.

“Cold represents stress; it’s a form of stress that a lot of us don’t like,” she said.

“It’s about facing a challenge rather than turning away from it.”

Three men sit in separate small blue baths filled with ice with their eyes closed
Group members meet at Port Macquarie’s popular Flynns Beach before submerging themselves.(ABC Mid North Coast: Madeleine Cross)

Each group member has a different motive for waking up at the crack of dawn and pushing their boundaries, but many said it was to improve their mental and physical health.

“You feel it physically, but really dealing with [the cold] is good for my mental health,” Hendo Longstaff said.

“For me, one of the biggest challenges was doing this form of practice in a community environment when I normally hide at home.”

A man with tattoos on his face stands on a beach in a hoodie
Hendo Longstaff says the experience is both challenging and enjoyable.(ABC Mid North Coast: Madeleine Cross)

A family challenge

For Michelle Jordan, the early morning meet-ups are a family activity with her husband and children.

“I find it a real challenge,” Ms Jordan said.

“I feel like I’ve achieved something and it’s building up more resilience in being able to do hard things.”

Her young daughter, Samaya, felt the same.

“It helps me get through the week and it feels nice afterwards,” she said.

Following the ice exposure, group members run into the ocean, which feels like a warm bath in comparison to the ice.

Group of 20 people stretch their arms into the air with the sunrise over the ocean in the background
The early morning risers prepare for the cold by engaging in breath and stretch exercises.(ABC Mid North Coast: Madeleine Cross)

Not for everyone

Ice exposure and cold-water therapy was made popular by Dutch athlete Wim Hof ​​and is practiced around the world.

Queensland University of Technology senior lecturer Jonathan Peak has conducted research on cold water immersion for athletes and said he understood why it was becoming popular within small communities.

“Initially there’s a little bit of shock when you get into the ice baths,” Dr Peak said.

“There’s the slowing of the heart rate and the activation of a sense of relaxation.

“What I think is happening is the cold-water immersion is putting these people into a meditative state.”

Dr Peak said more research was needed on its effects and potential risks for the general population, and recommended anyone with a pre-existing heart condition consult a health professional before participating.

Man sits in small blue bath of icey water with his eyes closed
Ian Goldspink endures the ice bath session for his second time.(ABC Mid North Coast: Madeleine Cross)

Attendees feel ‘invigorated’

Group members aimed to submerge themselves in the bath for two minutes, yet local resident Ian Goldspink endured the ice for four.

“It felt invigorating — I loved it,” Mr Goldspink said.

For surf and yoga teacher Lauren Enfield, immersing herself in chilly water is a daily occurrence.

“I get a lot of ‘stoke’ in my life through surfing, through yoga, through nature, through family,” she said.

“An ice bath is something different, so it gives me the same sense of joy and release all day but I’ve done it in a different way that’s challenging.”

Ms Enfield believed other regional communities should embrace the weekly ice bath catch-ups.

“I think communities can benefit, not only from that changing mindset, but the gathering of the community,” she said.

Blonde woman wears hooded beach towel and smiles at the camera
Group participant Lauren Enfield says its nice to “embrace the cold”.(ABC Mid North Coast: Madeleine Cross)

Ms Nunnari could not agree more.

“Healing comes from connection,” she said.

“I can see this happening within the workplace, in schools, within every community and micro community.”

Ms Nunnari added that she had seen clear benefits.

“There’s the challenge, there’s the resistance, there’s overcoming that, pushing self-limiting beliefs, self-awareness, all of that,” she said.

Group of 20 people stand in a circle on grass with the beach and rocks in the background
Port Macquarie residents meet at sunrise to participate in an ice bath session.(ABC Mid North Coast: Madeleine Cross)

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