by Kerrie Atherton | Aug 11, 2025 | Mental Health, Podcasts, Stories of Hope
Tes Cruz’s world was shattered when she lost her husband—a devastating loss that brought grief, isolation, and overwhelming pain. In the depths of her struggle, she faced the crushing weight of mental health challenges that many experience but few speak about openly. Yet from this heartbreak, Tes discovered her mission: to become a voice and an advocate for mental health.
In this deeply moving episode of Stories of Hope – Inspiring Humans with Kerrie Atherton, Tes shares her personal journey of grief and the process of rebuilding life after loss. She opens up about the stigma around mental health, especially in the wake of tragedy, and why she chose to transform her suffering into service.
Tes now dedicates her life to helping others who are navigating mental health struggles. By speaking publicly and advocating for change, she shines a light on the importance of awareness, compassion, and accessible support. Her courage not only honors her late husband but also inspires countless others to seek help and know they are not alone.
Her story demonstrates the power of turning pain into purpose. Tes Cruz reminds us that even in the darkest moments, hope can be reborn—not by ignoring grief, but by allowing it to fuel a mission of healing.
This episode is a tribute to resilience and the human capacity to rise from loss with renewed determination to help others find the light.
by Kerrie Atherton | Jun 22, 2025 | Mental Health, Podcasts, vulnerability
In this profoundly moving episode of Stories of HOPE, Kerrie Atherton speaks with Rhys Kirk—an occupational therapist whose work in psychiatric wards has shaped a perspective both compassionate and deeply grounded in dignity.
Mental health wards often carry stigma. For some, they’re places of fear. For others, they represent trauma. But for many individuals, they have been sanctuaries of survival—places where healing begins in the presence of nonjudgmental care.
Rhys brings years of experience working across both acute and long-term psychiatric units. He doesn’t describe patients by diagnoses—he sees people. Individuals who’ve battled addiction, homelessness, chronic illness, and immense trauma. He speaks with deep humanity about those society often overlooks, reminding us that everyone deserves hope, dignity, and the chance to heal.
In this conversation, Kerrie and Rhys also explore the emotional realities of care work. They discuss compassion fatigue, clinician burnout, and the importance of recognizing your own early warning signs. Rhys emphasizes that self-care isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity, especially for those in helping professions.
More than anything, Rhys reinforces the idea that healing doesn’t always come from big interventions. Sometimes, it comes from simply sitting with someone in their pain and saying, “I’m here.”
Whether you’re a mental health professional, a carer, or someone navigating your own healing journey, this episode offers a rare and tender look inside the systems that hold people together during their darkest hours.
by Kerrie Atherton | Jun 2, 2025 | Family, Mental Health, Podcasts
In this raw, courageous, and deeply affecting conversation, I sit down with Paul Beardmore—a father, speaker, and advocate whose life has been marked by both unimaginable tragedy and unwavering resolve. Paul’s story is one of profound heartbreak, but also of fierce love and the relentless pursuit of justice in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Paul opens up about the devastating experience of being forcibly separated from his children, a trauma that has left invisible but lasting scars. He recounts, with gripping honesty, the horrifying day when his young son, Lane, suffered a catastrophic brain injury under suspicious circumstances—an event that, to this day, Paul believes was never fully or properly investigated. His voice trembles not with weakness, but with the weight of truth that has long gone unheard.
As if that were not enough, Paul also shares the unspeakable grief of losing his stepdaughter to murder—a crime that remains unresolved, without accountability or closure. It’s a burden that would break most, but Paul continues to stand—not because he is untouched by pain, but because he chooses, every day, to fight through it for the sake of his family and his children.
In this episode, we confront the complex and often overlooked realities of parental alienation, the deeply flawed nature of the justice system when it comes to protecting children, and the long shadows these failures cast on fathers who are simply trying to do right by their families. Paul’s insight into these issues is not theoretical—it’s lived, and it’s delivered with a level of emotional honesty that is both disarming and inspiring.
But this conversation is not only about pain—it’s also about healing. Paul speaks with reverence and admiration about Lane’s enduring spirit, his capacity for joy despite injury, and the silent strength that radiates from his smile. He shares how support networks—especially those forged with other parents who understand—have helped him stay afloat in the darkest seasons. And most importantly, he talks about hope. Not as a cliché, but as a conscious, daily choice—a lifeline he continues to grip, even when everything else feels like it’s falling away.
Paul Beardmore’s story will touch your heart, shake your understanding of resilience, and illuminate the quiet strength it takes to keep showing up in the face of sustained injustice. This is not just a story about loss—it’s a powerful reminder of what it means to love relentlessly, to refuse silence, and to believe that healing is still possible, even in the aftermath of shattered dreams.
If you are walking through your own battle—whether with grief, injustice, or isolation—Paul’s message may be exactly what your heart has been waiting to hear.
by Kerrie Atherton | May 5, 2025 | lived experience, Mental Health, Podcasts
In this deeply personal and empowering episode of Stories of HOPE, Kerrie Atherton sits down with Jen Hamer—a writer, speaker, and academic whose journey through the depths of an eating disorder has not only shaped her life but now serves as a guiding light for others navigating similar paths.
Jen’s struggle began early. By the age of 12, she had already fallen into the grips of a life-threatening eating disorder—an illness that stole her energy, identity, and nearly her life. For years, Jen battled in silence, buried beneath the weight of impossible expectations, perfectionism, and the belief that her worth was tied to how little space she could take up in the world. Her story is one of pain, but also of awakening.
Now, Jen is completing a PhD focused on eating disorders in athletes—a group often overlooked, yet uniquely vulnerable to body image pressures and performance-based identity. Her research is personal, rigorous, and driven by a desire to create tangible change in how we understand and treat disordered eating in high-pressure environments.
In this episode, Jen speaks about the moment she chose recovery—a crossroads where she had to choose between surviving and truly living. She discusses the core beliefs that fueled her illness, the myths that kept her trapped, and the moment she realized her body was not the enemy but a partner in healing.
With vulnerability and strength, Jen also opens up about her upcoming book, Goodbye Anna—a powerful memoir in which she personifies her eating disorder as “Anna,” and writes a final farewell to the part of her life that tried to consume her. The book is not just a goodbye to pain—it’s a hello to purpose, compassion, and renewed self-trust.
Through her words, Jen sends a message to anyone who is struggling: that healing is messy, nonlinear, and never instant—but it is possible. That your value does not come from your appearance or achievements, but from your humanity. And that your body, no matter how long it has been at war with your mind, can become your home again.
Whether you’re living with an eating disorder, supporting someone who is, or simply trying to rebuild your relationship with your body, Jen’s story offers insight, empathy, and hope. It’s a reminder that recovery isn’t about returning to who you were—it’s about becoming who you were meant to be.
by Kerrie Atherton | Mar 10, 2025 | Addiction, Mental Health, Podcasts
In this courageous and deeply human episode of Stories of HOPE, Kerrie Atherton sits down with professional rugby league player Liam Knight—a man known for his strength on the field, but whose greatest battles were fought far from the spotlight. Once a rising star in the NRL and now continuing his career in the UK Super League, Liam opens up about the private chaos that existed behind the public persona.
With honesty and vulnerability, Liam shares his experience of battling addiction to drugs and alcohol—an invisible war that escalated silently as he navigated the intense pressures of professional sport, injuries, and the emotional toll of living up to public expectations. He talks about the slippery slope that began with prescription medications after injury, and how it quickly spiraled into dependency, isolation, and self-destruction.
But this story is not just about what was lost—it’s about what was found. Liam describes the pivotal moments that led him to finally ask for help: the honest conversations, the mirror moments, the quiet realization that something had to change if he wanted to survive. He speaks about entering recovery, the discomfort of facing life without substances, and the support systems—teammates, professionals, family—that helped him rebuild from the ground up.
In a culture where masculinity is often equated with silence and stoicism, Liam’s story is a powerful disruption. He speaks directly to the stigma that surrounds mental health and addiction in sport and among men more broadly, challenging the outdated belief that vulnerability is weakness. Instead, he reclaims it as strength.
Now in recovery, Liam not only continues to pursue his athletic career, but also uses his voice to advocate for mental wellness and emotional honesty. His story is one of transformation—a testament to the fact that it’s not where you start or even where you fall, but how you rise that defines the life you live.
For anyone struggling with addiction, mental health, or the shame of feeling alone in their pain, Liam’s words are a lifeline. His journey is a reminder that help is not only available—it works. That sobriety isn’t the end of something, but the beginning of something better. And that even after the darkest nights, it’s possible to play again, live again, and hope again.
by Kerrie Atherton | Dec 9, 2024 | Empower, Mental Health, Podcasts
In this stirring and profoundly inspiring episode of Stories of HOPE, Kerrie Atherton welcomes Ben Farinazzo—a decorated veteran, Invictus Games gold medalist, and passionate mental health advocate whose story is a testament to resilience, vulnerability, and the healing power of human connection.
Ben’s journey began more than 20 years ago when he served as an army officer in East Timor. Like many who return from combat zones, Ben came home carrying the invisible wounds of service—post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. For over a decade, he suffered in silence, trapped beneath the surface of a life that looked successful on the outside but was unraveling within. His battle with mental illness remained largely hidden, as he tried to live up to the ingrained expectations of stoicism and strength.
Then, in what he now describes as a pivotal turning point, Ben suffered a devastating mountain biking accident that left him with a broken neck and back. Immobilized and vulnerable, he was finally forced to confront the mental and emotional scars he had carried for years. It was in this moment—one of complete physical and psychological fragility—that Ben began his true journey of healing.
In this episode, Ben speaks openly about his time in a mental health hospital, the dark days that tested his spirit, and the turning point that led him to fight for his wellbeing—not just for himself, but for those who might walk a similar path. His honesty about the internal battles of PTSD, his periods of isolation, and the weight of unprocessed trauma is both sobering and incredibly moving.
What follows is a remarkable story of recovery, hope, and transformation. Ben shares how the Invictus Games became not just a sporting event, but a life-altering experience of camaraderie, acceptance, and purpose. Representing Australia in indoor rowing and powerlifting, Ben rediscovered his strength—not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. The sense of belonging he found among other wounded warriors reignited his belief in the human spirit and what it means to be truly seen and supported.
Throughout the conversation, Ben emphasizes the importance of consistent self-care—sleep, movement, mindfulness—and the necessity of breaking down toxic notions of masculinity. He speaks passionately about the value of support networks, open communication, and asking for help without shame. His story challenges the idea that vulnerability is weakness, and instead, reframes it as one of the greatest forms of strength.
Ben Farinazzo’s voice is one of lived wisdom, compassion, and gentle courage. His message is clear: no matter how deep the struggle, hope is never out of reach—and sometimes, your lowest point can become the foundation for your greatest comeback.
