Adi Francis is an Australian journalist, broadcaster, and TV news anchor for the ABC. She was appointed an ambassador for Dementia Australia in 2026. Adi shares her personal experience as a carer for her mother who has dementia.

Mark Cartner is the founder and director of Walkabout Training, an indigenous-owned business that offers bespoke outdoor education programs for youth at risk

Wendy Hick lives on a remote cattle property at the bottom of the Gulf of Carpentaria near the Queensland-Northern Territory border town of Camooweal. Access to education and improved communication services in rural and remote Australia have been a focus for Wendy. She is dedicated to ensuring communities and families in geographically isolated areas have a voice.

Michaela Nutt is an arts advocate who is passionate about the role of the arts in our communities. She is also a Board Member of the Darwin Centre Against Sexual Violence and a Member of the NT state team for calisthenics.

Graham S. Green, much like his namesake is an author. However, Graham is much more; he is also a cultural advocate and TESOL (Teaching English to Other Languages) teacher.

Asia is a long way from the central west of NSW where Graham grew up on a farm. After his first degree at university in Canberra, he found himself in Taiwan teaching English to adults and children…. and so began his love for other cultures.

Currently Graham works in the field of refugee education and migration narratives, particularly with the Yazidi people. He has been trusted with their stories and has re-told them in his novels, including the “The Weaver’s Tale Trilogy.”

Alecia Staines grew up on a farm at The Gums 200 kms west of Toowoomba. She knew that pregnancy and birth was a normal part of the life cycle, it didn’t need to be hard.

As a mother of 6 children Alecia felt that birthing was becoming the forgotten feminist issue and decided in 2021 to create the Maternity Consumer Network (MCN). It would be a network that provided support for maternity services, advocacy, information sharing, strategic direction for campaigns as well as Respectful Maternity Care Training.

MCN’s specific areas of focus are; campaigning for respectful care & reducing trauma, saving rural maternity services and supporting midwifery and home birth options.

Alecia is currently embarking on a PHD entitled “Barriers to Respectful Maternity Care”.

Karen Makkai didn’t start her working life teaching meditation, in fact she studied to be a speech pathologist.

In 2020 Karen was plunged into the world of breast cancer - she was diagnosed with an aggressive lobular carcinoma. What followed was the usual chaos of cancer; mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, hormone therapy. To try and still her mind, manage her stress, her mood and to fill in the long hours of infusions, Karen turned to meditation. The practice has become central to Karen’s life….she lives, breathes and teaches mediation.

Karen wants to give back to the organisation that helped her on this long, scary journey…The Jenny Black Cancer Wellness Centre at Hope Horizons Toowoomba.

She is 5 years cancer free and holding a women’s only dance party called ‘Flashdance for Hope’ 12 September @ 6.30pm.

In the words of William W. Purkey: "You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, love like you'll never be hurt, sing like there's nobody listening, and live like it's heaven on earth."

Jade Hubbard is a young woman, wise beyond her years. When the opportunity came up to play rugby union in the UK, she was mature enough to seize the opportunity.

Despite the fact she had to make the agonising decision to leave her young son and partner behind in Australia, she knew had to go. Jade revelled in the experience and came back with life changing memories. She continues to coach girls rugby union teams, and has added a daughter to her growing family.

How AI describes Marty Hollis:

Marty Hollis brings the skies to Saint Mary's halls,

Where aerospace dreams take flight within the walls.

With passion for flight and the mechanics of space,

He guides every student at their own steady pace.

Inspiring young minds to reach for the stars,

From the physics of wings to the mysteries of Mars.

Not bad!

Paddy Long is a true creative, and he’s lucky enough to make a living from his talents. He is one half of Rare Squid Creative; a digital marketing agency, based in Toowoomba.

After a rocky start to his working career, Paddy decided to study a Bachelor of Visual Arts at UniSQ. He thought he wanted to be a surrealist painter but his world expanded from there.

From art assignments that involved a miniature gallery displayed inside his mouth (Art Mouth) to a coat made from taxidermied duck heads (Polymorphic Duck Coat)….Paddy has lots (and lots) of stories.

Megan found this interview a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

No matter what topic Heather Smith starts speaking about, it mostly ends up being about gardening. She loves her garden, other people’s gardens, public gardens and gardeners too of course.

That is how she came to meet and lose a dear friend. Today Heather shares with Megan the tragic story of her friend whose life was taken by her intimate partner in a terrifying act of domestic violence.

Heather is opening her garden in this year’s Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers. She has dedicated it to her friend and will donate the proceeds to Protea Place Women’s Support Centre.