Bella magazine (issue1) 2016 february (low res)

bella Edition 1 February 2016

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Contents Edition 1, February 2016

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ON THE COVER 22 Yes Sarah, there is a Santa Claus Echuca-Moama’s Sarah Jones wanted to be a sports reporter when she was six years old. Today she is one of the international faces of Foxtel sport.

47 The greatest taste in Echuca-Moama Chef Dave Hollamby’s rice paper rolls recipe that will get you in the kitchen.

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50 Simple, and simply stunning An easy six step guide to apply make-up for a day or night look.

59 Having a little skin in the game Rochester’s Carole Ciavarella opens up about what it’s like to strip down as a life model.

INSIDE 9

Director of first impressions

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Clap your hands for Caitlyn’s handstands

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In the netherworld there are more questions than answers

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To dance is to live

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32 An eye for fashion dresses up the whole town 36

Just get me to the church on time

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The magic of the man I never met

49 In pursuit of an empowering travel experience 54 The barriers come tumbling down 56 Sharing the pain — from the heart 62

Will someone please just make up my mind

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Want more Bella? facebook.com/bellamagazineechuca Instagram — @bellamagazineechuca

Photography: Sitthixay Ditthavong Design: Teresa Crifo Cover: Post production — Tanya Pymer

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Welcome to

bella

Jump up and down, scream it to the person next to you, and whatever you do — keep reading.

Because this is the first issue of Bella magazine.

And believe me, it’s worth reading.

So how do you capture something that has never been captured before?

Fast forward a lot of photos, a lot of interviews, and a lot of planning, and you have a lot of long hours behind you.

And now — after all has been and done — I can tell you I was right.

We have captured the unsung women of Echuca-Moama, we’ve told you about the ‘must have’ recipe for the season, and we’ve photographed the trends and fashion.

If you have a story tip or would like to give some feedback, please email me on

tyla.harrington@riverineherald.com.au But that’s enough from me though (that’s me on the left), you’ve got a magazine to read.

Enjoy!

— Tyla Harrington Bella editor

Bella began life with the talented advertising department here at the Riv and I was delighted — and excited — to be given the chance to take it on board as ‘my baby’.

I am fortunate in my role to meet so many wonderful business people on a daily basis, to help them promote and grow their businesses.

But with Bella we saw there was a need for something different, something special and something just for the beautiful women of Echuca-Moama.

Having lived in Echuca-Moama for more than a decade, having grown up just down the road in Cohuna, I felt I had a strong idea of what we had available locally for women.

Boy was I wrong.

I have met some of the most talented, beautiful business owners during the past couple of months, all running successful businesses in our area.

I will admit some I had not even heard of and this is why I love Bella so much — she gives everyone the chance to show everyone what they offer.

I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed meeting the wonderful people who are a part of Bella.

— Carly Richardson Bella advertising executive

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Busy at work: Bella photographer Sitthixay Ditthavong snaps away at model Cassidy McGill while editor Tyla Harrington watches on.

Photo: Cass Naughton

Director of first impressions Photographer SITTHIXAY DITTHAVONG saw the cover of the first issue of Bella as a personal challenge — after all, it’s not every day you get to help launch a new title. But once the concept was agreed and the model organised the hard work was just beginning.

B

ella — a new magazine for a new market and

who is charismatic, focused, disarmingly beautiful,

with a new look.

and about to embark on a bold move to the US

But creating a new look is not as easy as it looks when you see the spectacular finished product.

In fact it took Bella photographer Sitthixay Ditthavong about four hours to get right.

And in that timeframe there wasn’t a minute to be wasted in the race against failing light.

That, of course, doesn’t include the two weeks of planning.

“Bella editor Tyla Harrington and I agreed it had to be edgy, something a little different — I really didn’t want a cover image that could be easily ignored,” Sitt said.

“My personal hope is the magazine evolves into an engaging space where women can think freely about any and every issue that is important to them,” he said.

“I want it to be inspirational and aspirational and not limited in its outlook.”

to pursue further opportunities there. In many ways, this combination of optimism, beauty, and professionalism is what we aim to capture with

Bella.”

When Sitt first started researching cover ideas he knew he wanted to incorporate water — both for its evocative qualities, and as a nod to the regional waterways that touch all of our lives.

“I also wanted a strong element of flair, a moment that defied any scripted outcome,” he said.

“With these thoughts in mind, we organised a shoot at a sublime property on Wharparilla Dve, which gave us the option of shooting in both a horizon pool, and in the Murray.

“From the outset, Cassidy proved to be a real trooper, patiently working with me as I got closer to the image that I wanted.

“It’s often difficult enough to do a shoot of this nature without a team of assistants, and the

“This is why Cassidy McGill was the perfect talent

level of difficulty is magnified as soon as you

for our first cover. Here we have a local woman

start mixing electronic equipment such as high-

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powered flashes with water.

“We diffused the flash and turned its power up quite high, so that the only light in the image was coming from my light, and not the receding sun.

“As soon as I fired my first frame underwater, I knew that we were on track. The discord between the above and below water halves of the image was eased by Cassidy’s fluid movement and the depth of the surrounding shadows. ‘Surreal’, someone said.

“As long as it makes people stop and look — and hopefully wonder if this image was made in Echuca-Moama — I’m happy.”

After that it was a case of moving to the river shoot as dusk fell.

“All three of us — Cassidy, Tyla and me, pursed our lips and feigned nonchalance as aggressive little shrimp took turns at savaging at our legs.

“Muddy feet, wet shoes, a fall on a slippery boat ramp, and we happily called it a night.”

— Visit www.riverineherald.com.au for more photos from the shoot.

Clap your hands for Caitlyn’s handstands

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Game face: Caitlyn during last year’s season.

Photo: Dave Callow

The little girl on Echuca’s netball courts had a glittering career in front of her but no-one who knew her would have guessed writes TYLA HARRINGTON.

W

HEN Caitlyn Nevins first played netball she proved to be outstanding — at hand claps and handstands.

The easily-distracted eight-year-old had just joined the Echuca District Netball Association and by her own admission was far from the best player.

Little did Caitlyn (nee Strachan) realise that within 20 years she would stand astride the netball world having just helped the Queensland Firebirds to ANZ Championship glory.

“I wasn’t very good back when I started at EDNA,” Caitlyn laughed.

“I started my career as a shooter, following in the footsteps of Sharelle McMahon, then I transitioned to centre.

“I guess growing up with my two brothers brought out the competitive side in me.

the match-winning goal to steal the premiership.

It was a case of third time lucky for the Firebirds, who had been bridesmaids the previous two years.

Other highlights include winning the ANZ Championship trophy with the Melbourne Vixens in 2014.

Then on November 7 in 2014 she took another big step into the future marrying Sam Nevins, the man of her dreams.

Caitlyn has one major dream left — to join the Australian Diamonds.

Her game is the best it has been and she is probably the strongest and fittest she has been so it is not beyond the realm of possibilities.

“One of my weaknesses has been strength, which

“The boys certainly didn’t go easy on me and that helped with my aggression and drive.

is why I have been really working on that,”

“(Juggling basketball and netball) I can’t remember what led me to netball but I did, and do, love the game. I’m so happy with the decision I made back then.”

“It has been a tough off-season but I do feel a lot

So Caitlyn made the commitment to netball, put away the handstands and at 16 was playing as many as five times a week.

Before long Caitlyn — now 170 cm tall — was in the spotlight and being recognised for her potential.

Eventually she joined the Melbourne Vixens before she started to call the Firebirds home.

Now she’s living in Brisbane and is a star wing attack in the Queensland team’s mid-court.

Caitlyn lives a busy lifestyle but says she manages to juggle working as a podiatrist and being an elite netballer.

“On work days I train from 6 am to 8 am, work from 9 am to 2 pm and train again from 4 pm to 6.30 pm,” she said.

“Then I have appearances and meetings in between.

“It’s busy but it’s quite a good balance.”

Of course one of her career highlights has to be the ANZ Championship last year when her Firebirds were crowned Trans-Tasman premiers following the stunning one-goal win over the Sydney-based Swifts, 57–56.

The Swifts had led until the final 14 seconds when Firebirds goal attack Gretel Tippett sank

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Caitlyn said.

stronger. I’m in a really great position.

“I’m not going to be able to play netball forever so I should make the most of it while I can.

“I am really happy to be able to do what I do — work and play netball.”

Her Firebirds clearly also get the fun message.

“It is definitely serious sometimes. I once got a broken nose when one of my teammates accidentally elbowed me,” Caitlyn laughed.

“But we also have a 15-minute fun session, with games like blondes verses brunettes and poison ball.

“We all laugh and have a good time.

“It’s important to have that fun factor.”

That’s enough fun though. It’s almost time to get serious.

Because Caitlyn already has her eyes on season 2016.

Particularly that first round in Brisbane come April; when the Firebirds take on the Canterbury Tactics.

Her parents will be cheering from the sidelines, while the community cheers from her home town.

And Caitlyn, well she will have her game face on and once again be a killer on the court. ■

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s p i T p o T s e t a C ar la O f or summer BEAUTY EDIT

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1. Eat more green food This pretty much means any and all green veggies, although spinach, kale and broccoli are top of the list, as they are bursting with antioxidants and are great sources of beta-carotene (which converts to vitamin A in the body when consumed and is essential for healthy skin) plus lutein (a phytonutrient that boosts skin hydration and elasticity). Alfalfa sprouts are also packed with antioxidants

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(good for skin, hair and nail growth) and are also a great source of vitamin E, which helps to repair skin.

2. Snack on berries We don’t really mind which ones you munch on, as all berries, including strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, are full of anthocyanins, which help fight free radicals and improve blood-vessel function. Blueberries, however, have the added benefit of being rich in the skinloving phytonutrient resveratrol, which is great for your skin, while harder-to-getyour-hands-on berries are generally off the chart when it comes to super-high levels of antioxidants — think acai and goji (both in our new Collagen Inner Beauty Boost) and noni, plus the Chilean maqui berry, which is arguably the most antioxidant rich food on the planet (and the reason we included it in the GLOW formula!)

from free-radical damage and kick start your metabolism, too. An even easier way to get the benefits is to down a shot of our new ANTIOXIDANT Inner Beauty Boost — it, too, has green-tea extract in it, supercharged by our bio-fermentation process, along with organic papaya and pomegranate to fight free radicals and slow cellular ageing. It’s also full of prebiotics and probiotics, making it good for your gut and good for your skin, too.

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SKIN I BODY l WELLNESS

Below left: Soul Nurturer Sally Williams.

Below right: Bella editor Tyla Harrington.

In the netherworld there are more questions than answers When Bella editor TYLA HARRINGTON walked into Sally Williams Soul Nurturer for a tarot reading she was amazed, even a little disturbed, by how easily she was interpreted.

T

arot is not the entrée to another world; although its practitioners remain convinced they can see things coming about which you are not yet aware.

Shuffling she explained as soon as I relaxed the cards would too. So I did, despite the camera in my face too, and the cards started to flow.

And that’s despite a nightmarish experience a short time after the Ouija board when in the depths of the night someone spoke my name.

The first being the ‘spiritual teacher’.

It was 2 am and my brother and parents were asleep.

The spooky, even gruesome cards — the hanged man, death, the fool, the devil and judgement — hardly inspire you to settle down for your first reading.

“You have a lot of people that come to you,” Sally said. “You have a really calming impact on people. But sometimes your personality can allow too many people in.”

Yet it would prove interesting, certainly, and enlightening occasionally. And, too often, unerringly accurate.

This became one of the themes throughout my reading.

I remain convinced there is a logical explanation, it’s just that I haven’t found it yet.

According to Sally I have a deeper connection to the spirit world — and some untapped powers.

Another theme in this reading was to be the “true you”.

“There are a lot of spiritual cards coming up for you,” Sally said.

“Just be the truest version — the you,” Sally urged.

“You have a lot of healing abilities and a deeper gift than you realise.

“Speak the truth, say what you feel and definitely speak up. Sometimes you shape yourself a bit to the situation but you don’t need to.”

Remarkably it would also come across as relaxing.

Walking into the reading I was expecting it to be everything it wasn’t.

Obviously too much television, too many movies and a dark foreboding anticipated in a dark room, with some darker cards.

And perhaps a few (mis)fortunes I would have been better off not hearing.

Such as the big one — the foretelling of an early death.

You can’t imagine my relief when Sally Williams told me she had a nicer bunch of cards for me.

“Tarot does have a mystical, almost scary preconception, and yes, the deck does include a death card, and that does worry people,” Sally said.

“So it was decided to introduce angel cards and oracle cards, which are friendlier and have a more optimistic feel.

“And for it to come out in almost every line it’s a really big direction for you in 2016.

“That can be as big as you like it to be, or as small as trusting your instinct more and following subtle leads.”

Full disclosure, as a teen for ‘fun’ my friends and I played with Ouija boards.

Yes, that’s the game where you place all the letters of the alphabet around a board with a ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘goodbye’ and numbers from zero to nine.

“I can tell you a loved one is waving or wanting to say hello but my gift is not connected with persons on the other side.”

Then you attempt to make contact with ‘spirits’ (quotations necessary because I’m not sure what’s real and what’s not).

Sally went on to explain my reading was more about gaining my trust but said there was accuracy in it.

And yes that’s the game any spiritual person will tell you not to play.

“You’ve got a lot of older qualities — maturity about you,” she said. “Although you have the other side too … you take a little bit to make decisions, but you need to trust that more.

For good reason too.

“I quieten my mind to help release human chatter and get in a higher mind space.”

Because it only managed to keep me awake at night and as I sure as hell won’t be playing it again.

She had never done a reading with a third person in the room, and wasn’t used to a photographer clicking away in the background.

Eventually there was a sign from heaven that Sally couldn’t put a finger on but later said it was my grandfather — which one I’m not sure.

“What I do is interpret the cards really well,” she explained referencing the card — a sign from heaven.

“I intuitively prepare for you to come.

This was the first time Sally had been interviewed or read a journalist who was going to write about it all.

It was also in one of the most monotone voices I have heard, and to this day sends shivers down my spine.

“You’re also an empath.

So I wasn’t exactly a novice as I sat down with Sally.

“It means you really feel what other people are feeling and understand how other people are feeling … and you are very good at saying ‘yes’ when it comes to work and in general. ‘Yep, I can do it’.

But I’m not also a ‘believer’ in all things spiritual either.

“You need to be careful though — sometimes you say ‘yes’ too much.

My aunty is also a clairvoyant.

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>>>

Spirit world: Sally Williams at her Moama business.

“You’re also a real people pleaser and a gung-ho chick.”

She also told me about how children have a much deeper connection with the spiritual world, which sometimes can explain imaginary friends.

But I’m not sure in my case it explains my little blue friend Blumpling, who died when I was about six when he was struck consecutively by 10 cars.

Later Sally made reference to my bad sleeping, or having trouble switching off, which was pretty spot on at the time.

And then she spoke about my love for animals.

“You have a natural affinity with them,” she said. “You almost understand them more than humans. You don’t need words; you get a sense of your animals and know how they are feeling.

“Trust that and know that.”

It was about this time I realised, as scary as it was, the longer it went (50 minutes in full) the more Sally seemed to understand me.

And that’s not because I was telling her about myself.

I wasn’t.

My answers were “(I can relate to that) a little bit” and that’s about it.

I basically gave her nothing to work with, but she managed to make it work.

When I stepped back into the real world I felt a lot more different than walking in.

I was on a whole new level of relaxed.

I did feel, however bizarre it may seem, Sally knew me a lot more than any stranger did. And I wholeheartedly believed she believed in what she was doing.

I have no plans to throw away journalism and take up a career in the spirit world.

But my mind certainly is more open.

It was a fun, relaxing experience, and I walked out glad I walked in.

Plus, there was no death card for me.

But I can’t guarantee what will turn up when you have a go. ■

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TO DANCE IS TO LIVE

Talented: Jacqui Kornmann in her i-Dance studio.

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The most remarkable thing about Jacqui Kornmann is that between dancing, and teaching dance, she has managed to build a successful dance studio, get married, have a family — and also milk some cows.

Talk about light on your feet.

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s a 12-year-old Jacqui Kornmann had written on her bedroom wall: For as long as I am in motion I will live my life for dance.

Thirty five years later she is pretty sure the quote was from Anne Woolliams, dean of dance at the Victorian College of the Arts at the time.

And as soon as she talks dance, which she will do anywhere, anytime, it becomes impossible to wipe the smile from Jacqui’s face.

with her Bachelor of Education and kept right on going as a qualified classical ballet teacher with the Cecchetti method of ballet (Associate Diploma, London) and as a qualified teacher of the modern dance education syllabus.

“It is a real commitment I have, for i-Dance to be part of the local dance community and part of that has been to build up a group of locals as teachers,” Jacqui said.

Life may have proved a little more complex than just dance — in Jacqui’s case there is the husband, three children and the dairy farm at Bamawm Extension.

“To do that I had to complete teacher/trainer programs, including my Certificate IV in training and education, and a skills set for dance trainer through Ausdance, which I believe has been very valuable.

But by her own admission Jacqui is not a very good farmer’s wife, even though she has milked her fair share of cows over the years.

“I have also done some work in Melbourne with dance physiotherapist Lisa Howell, and that has been fantastic.”

Yet momentarily relaxing in her i-Dance studio in High St, Echuca, this veteran of dance still fairly bubbles when she talks about what she is doing, how her students are going and what she has planned for tomorrow, for next week, for next year.

She is relentless.

At 14 Jacqui taught her first class and in 2016 she is continuing her own training so she can do a better job with her own students.

Students as young as two and as mature as 60 (an enthusiast of her jazz class) make up the 200-plus who regularly troop through the door of her school.

Where increasingly they are being taught by instructors who have been trained and qualified

by Jacqui herself — who started down this path

Australian Conservatoire of Ballet to teach this.

“At the same time one of the other things which is just as important on our agenda is safe dancing,” she said.

“We have a fully-sprung dance floor and are strict on proper warm up and cool down programs with manageable class sizes and an organised structure.

“It is also important to get across that if the students work hard they can achieve, and at the same time make sure we are teaching not just dance but a holistic approach, where our dancers develop a positive sense of self and build life skills.”

She said the dance pyramid, classical or any other genre; is narrow and tough.

Dance physiotherapists not only provide up- “By Year seven you can see some dancers have that something extra and that is normally the to-date information on the correct muscles for point at which I encourage them to look at each style, they can also advise how to use them opportunities in Melbourne, or elsewhere,” correctly and with the best practice.

Jacqui said.

Even better, dance teachers who work with Lisa learn how to better, and more quickly, identify “Two of our girls — Abbey McNair and Andrea San Diego — have just completed Year 12 VET problems with their dancers — because every dance and have been invited to audition at Top serious artist carries niggles and aches most of Dance in Melbourne this month,” she said. the time.

“It has been wonderful to do this course, and I will be doing more, and then passing it onto all the staff here,” Jacqui said.

She is also broadening the school’s ballet training.

I-Dance has been teaching Cecchetti but Jacqui is now adding the Russian method to her repertoire, as well as working with the

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“And 12-year-old Victoria Oberin is next on the list for the Victorian College of the Arts, which is a very tough program to get into, with very few making the cut.”

An opportunity made a little easier by working at i-Dance and by working with a woman who literally cannot stand still.

And that smile, it just never leaves her face. ■

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Yes Sarah, there is a Santa Claus

Magical moment: Sarah and daughter Mila bonding on a Sydney beach last year.

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Echuca-Moama’s Sarah Jones is one of the faces of Foxtel sport, doing everything from hosting the London Olympics to her first loves of football and cricket. And as she told ANDREW MOLE it all started after her mother suggested it to her when she was just six years old.

A

s a six-year-old in Moama watching the 1988 Seoul Olympics on television, Sarah Jones believed her mother when she suggested being a sports reporter was a job she might like.

to knock back — the London Olympics, the Winter Games at Vancouver/Whistler, the Ashes and cricket’s World Cup, Delhi Commonwealth Games; she covered them all.

After all, every six-year-old believes everything mum says.

But when in the early stage of Mila’s pregnancy she suddenly realised yep, yep, yep was no longer the number one thing in her life.

And every mum wants her babies to be whatever it is they want.

In this case they were both right.

Today Sarah is a high-profile face of the Foxtel sports team.

A job which has taken her all over the world — and to the world’s biggest events.

Including the Olympics.

But today, the proud mother of her own daughter, 16-month-old Mila, she is discovering the world is no longer her oyster.

Mila is — oh, yes, and husband Leigh Carlson (an executive producer at Fox Footy).

“Before Mila my answer to everything was yep, yep, yep,” Sarah laughed.

And some of those questions were pretty hard

“Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do and I always want to do more, but Mila and Leigh are absolutely number one,” Sarah said.

“So when I was offered the Test tour of South Africa I knocked it back — in another time and place it would not have worried me, but now I had other things to consider,” she said.

“Those big events are great but my main work focus is AFL and cricket, that’s what I do most — and as I said, my total focus is my family.”

Sarah said while she could not see the game as a player would, that was never an issue.

She said the former captains and 300-game guys who go into media are incredibly talented but they are commentators, not journalists.

And she is.

Which is what she actually loves about the sporting business.

After doing work placements at the Herald Sun in Year 10 and television in Year 11 she had no hesitation in setting her sights on TV. “I like that TV always has to go out and get the story, while newspaper journos can do a lot over the phone,” she said.

In Year 11 the wannabe TV reporter landed a job with Channel Seven as a production assistant at the Australian Open; and the next year at the Sydney Olympics.

And Sydney presented Sarah with the first major challenge of her budding career.

“I had to take a month off to do the Olympics and my Year 12 exams started only a couple of weeks after that, and then it was the tennis again.”

And from there it was ‘and then’ and ‘and then’.

Sarah started a journalism degree at RMIT and then was soon working three days a week at Channel Seven’s Sportsworld, cutting deeply into her study time.

>>>

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“

I HAVE NO PROBLEMS ASKING THE HARD QUESTIONS — PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE LIVE ON THE SET, THAT’S WHEN YOU REALLY HAVE TO DELIVER.

— SARAH JONES

“

Left: Whooping it up after the London Olympics team collects a Logie.

Below: Interviewing athletics superstar Sally Pearson.

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And then in her third year she landed a fulltime position at the then Fox Footy so uni became one of the great juggling acts of the modern era.

“It wasn’t easy but it’s been everything I wanted it to be,” Sarah said.

“Hosting in London at the Olympics was the most amazing, wonderful month and so challenging professionally.

“And no amount of study or university could have prepared me for what I was being given the opportunity to do.

“My shift at the Games was 5 am – 1 pm to synch with Australia so after that I got around and got to see it all — Sally Pearson, Anna Meares, Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, the lot,” she said.

And while female TV reporters and brash sportsmen dominated sporting headlines in January, Sarah said she had never had a problem.

“There are heaps of female sports journos now, and so many of the media managers at AFL clubs and in cricket are women.

“If you want an idea of where sport fits in Australia, there are more journos accredited to the AFL than the press gallery in Canberra.

“I love this job, I love interviewing people and I have no problems asking the hard questions — particularly when you have people live on the set, that’s when you really have to deliver.”

If there is one regret Sarah does have, it’s that she doesn’t get home to Echuca-Moama as often as she would like.

But then confesses there are some trips home she has to make.

“I still get my hair cut at Hakkas in Hare St; Toni Ridge does such a great job with it.”

So Sarah proves to be a good sport to the end, pushing a local business and flying the EchucaMoama flag. ■

She’s come far: Sarah Jones, one of the faces of Foxtel sports and a staunch advocate of Echuca-Moama.

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SWISS BALL

WORKOUT Swiss ball are great to add variety to your workout.

Their basic shape is what sets them apart. They roll and provide an unstable surface as well as offer unique variation to previously stagnant exercises. Try these exercises on the ball and get a seriously strong core.

Ball plank Place both hands on the ground, shoulder-width apart. Place one shin on a Swiss ball, then the other, so you are holding a push-up-type position.

Try not to let your hips sag. Keep your feet apart to help with balance. When you get the hang of this exercise on your shins, try resting on the fronts of your feet, and when you master that, try doing it on your toes (pictured).

2-3 x 30sec-2minutes

Incline push-ups Place your hands, fingers pointing out to the sides, about shoulder-width apart on a Swiss ball. Step back so you are in an incline push-up position.

Lower your chest as close to the ball as you can.

Pause, then push back up. Your chest should touch the ball.

2-3 x 10-20

Hip Bridge Lie on your back. Place the soles of your feet on a Swiss ball, knees bent to 90 degrees. Keep your arms by your sides on the ground, palms facing up.

Press your feet into the ball, raise your hips off the ground until your body forms one line, from your shoulders to your knees. Lower to a few centimetres off the ground, then rise again for your next rep. Try to keep the ball still at all times 2-3 x 15-20

Oblique Crunch Sit on the ball and lower your upper body back until your lower back is on the ball. Your back should be slightly hyper-extended without pain. Place your hands at your temples and have your feet shoulder-width apart. Curl up and take your right elbow towards your left knee, twisting and crunching at the same time.

Stop just short of upright, then slowly lower until your mid-back lightly touches the ball. Do all the reps on one side, then switch. 2-3 x 10-20 each side.

Superman Lie with your stomach on a Swiss ball.

Place your fingertips on the ground in front of you and your toes on the ground behind you. Brace your core to stop the ball pushing into your stomach and to steady your torso. Keep your head position neutral and your spine long. Lift your right arm and left leg at the same time until they are horizontal. Hold for a few seconds, then lower. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg. 2-3 x 10-15 each side

Ab crunch Sit on the ball and lower your upper body until your lower back is on the ball, your head should hang slightly off the end of the ball. Bring your chin to your chest and then, squeezing your abdominals, curl up further so you can start to feel tension in the stomach, you may shake a little. Keep squeezing until you reach just short of upright.

Slowly lower with control. When your shoulder blades reach the ball, move straight into the next rep. 2-3 x 10-20

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT ECHUCA WAR MEMORIAL AND AQUATIC CENTRE (03) 5480 2994

Now is the time for your annual skin check

Make your skin check appointment today, phone 5482 6700

Medical services provided at Rich River Health Group include: ■ Diabetic Educator ■ Midwifery Clinic and Asthma Clinic ■ Neurosurgeon ■ Skinscope ■ Health Assessments ■ Telehealth ■ Audiologist ■ Mental Health Clinicians ■ Multiple Skin Procedures & Excisions ■ Ultrasound ■ Healthscope Pathology (Monday to Saturday) Children 15 and under bulk billed Monday to Friday if standard consult EXTRAS CLINIC IS AVAILABLE WHEN THERE ARE NO APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE AND YOU WILL BE SEEN BY THE NEXT AVAILABLE DOCTOR.

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31

Fashion femme: Jess Griffiths in her Pakenham St store where she has gone for brands with quality.

32

An eye for fashion dresses up the whole town J

ess Griffiths has an eye for fashion.

And seeing a future the 25-year-old decided to bite the couture bullet last May and open a women’s clothing and accessories business — Hello Pretty Poppy in Pakenham St, Echuca.

For Jess it’s all about that smile on a woman’s face when she looks in the mirror, does a spin, and loves what’s staring back at her.

So when she and partner Justin Webb made the move from Bendigo to Echuca and decided to go for bricks and mortar in the twin towns it was a seriously big decision.

“The whole experience was a bit daunting, but since we made the move I am delighted we haven’t looked back,” Jess added.

“I’ve always been into fashion and have worked with it for a long time.

“We had a vision to bring affordable, but quality, brand names we all know and love to the area,” “It was a big investment to open the store, so it Jess said. was scary, but it was worth it.

“We have hand-picked all our labels to bring “I have had really good support from everyone. It people a gorgeous mix of designers. has been amazing.”

“Some of our favourites include Elliatt, Imonni, Hello Pretty Poppy boutique is at 201–203 Ruby Sees All, May The Label, Sol Sana, Pakenham St. Premonition, Mossman, The Fifth Label and Phone: 5480 0162.

Keepsake.”

A cyber child, Jess originally launched Hello Pretty Poppy as an online store.

Hours: 10 am–5 pm Monday to Thursday; 10 am–6 pm Friday; 10 am–2 pm Saturday. ■

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Modelling: Jess Stevens features some of the clothes available from Hello Pretty Poppy.

34

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In-house Roasted Coffee All Day Breakfast Lunch from 11.30am Open 7 Days

Ph: 5480 3113 433 High St, Echuca

Above: Laura and Gerard Corby with their wedding statement.

Right: Laura, Gerard and wedding party — plus the very big, red truck which got them to the church on time.

Photos: Sherry Hancock at Shooting Memories

36

L

aura Corby’s wedding wasn’t your standard fairy tale function — but for her it was still perfect.

Sure, when she woke up and stepped outside, it was the classic setting.

The sun was shining, not a cloud was in sight.

married Gerard Corby on November 7.

and a job to do. You only start to think about all

The ceremony was at Epicentre Church and the reception at Moama Bowling Club.

that when you come back to the station and the

And when she tied the knot there was, of course, enough time to go to the Echuca fire brigade and take wedding photos in the home of her second family.

job is done.”

Laura admits there have been times where she’s felt the nerves.

But it’s only for a second because she

And at the altar the man of her dreams would be patiently waiting.

“It was all perfect,” Laura said.

But Laura’s big day was going to have a theme that has always been part of her life.

“It had been raining all week but on the day it was blue skies.

“It’s great to know you have people there that can

Forget the horse-and-cart, or the limousine with its long white ribbons.

“Arriving in the fire truck and making it a theme of the wedding just topped it off.

“And there’s also younger kids coming through

None of that for Laura.

“I love being a firefighter. It’s my favourite thing.

opportunity to train them and help them through

She would arrive at church in a fire truck.

“It’s just something my family has not only done, it’s all we do. We talk about it all the time – even at Christmas breakfast. We talk about it any chance we get.”

it, just as others did for you.”

fancy

A fire truck?

“Well, I come from a family of firefighters,” Laura explained.

“My dad (Stuart), mum (Deborah), brother (Rohan) and sister (Jodie) are all in the brigade so when I turned 11 and could join the junior squad I didn’t even have to think about it.

“Then when I turned 16 it was natural to keep going with the training and become a firefighter.

“So you could say arriving to my wedding in a fire truck was something I had been thinking about for a while.”

Which is why she decided to ask her brigade captain if she could ‘borrow’ the big red machine (fire calls notwithstanding) and he agreed.

Echuca born and bred, Laura (nee Stevens), 22,

Firefighting might be in her DNA but Laura said she also wanted to become a firefighter to help the community and do her part.

Then there are the call-outs, they come at all hours of the night and morning.

Sometimes as many as 10 a week.

“I go whenever I can after work,” Laura said.

“There have been calls at 2 am and 3 am. The pager is very loud so you can’t sleep through it.

remembers she works alongside experts who have been around a lot longer than her. guide you. People with a lot more experience. as well — like me when I was 16. It’s a good

There have also been some very hot days when Laura has had to put on the suit.

“Very hot days,” she reiterated. “But you don’t think about it until you come home. It’s all about fighting the fire.”

And despite only being a young woman herself, Laura has some advice for her peers.

“If you’re thinking about becoming a firefighter, do it. You won’t look back,” Laura said.

“And at the end of the day you end up having another big family, and you learn how important it is to put others first.

“Basically I just jump up and run out the door to the station. Then it’s get your gear on and go.

“It’s really taught me a lot.”

“There’s not much time to think about how early it is or what time is. You have all this adrenaline

— and fortunately the fires, like the rain, held off. ■

37

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“Creating lifetime memories for all of Victoria�

When a SUPERFOOD isn’t so super What’s really in a coconut Author: Amy Burrowes Dietitian Echuca Moama Family Medical Practice behind the fibre, carbohydrates and The words everyone is hearing over and over in the media are SUPERFOODS. protein, so it is pure fat. They have Let quinoa and goji berries move over claimed it will control weight, relieve stress because coconut products are here, and boost your immunity, but will it? The but is it really as good for us as they say? facts are coconut oil is rich in saturated The list of benefits I have heard range fat. When I say rich it is approximately from boosting your immunity and losing 92% saturated fat, more than in butter. weight to making your skin glow. Then Saturated fat is strongly related with high we start on the A listers that are using and cholesterol levels and heart disease. If promoting coconut products, Jennifer you were to consume a small portion of Aniston, Angelina Jolie, Miranda Kerr and coconut oil occasionally then it would Dr Oz… the list is endless. not be a major problem You take a – but if we look at the diet walk down the “Coconut oil is 92% of Australians currently it is supermarket aisle saturated fat — more already high in saturated or look at what fat, why would you want products are being than butter” to add more1? sold in gyms and no doubt you will Those for coconut oil say see coconut water. that it acts different to Coconut water is the clear liquid that you other saturated fats, but the evidence for find in young green coconuts, not the this isn’t that clear. By this I mean it is high creamy coconut milk used in many Thai in a type of saturated fat called lauric dishes. acid. Lauric acid copies unsaturated Coconut water has been marketed as fats, increasing our good cholesterol a healthy alternative for hydration to levels (HDL). Studies to date have found sports drinks and other bottled drinks, that when coconut oil is utilised it may however there is little evidence out increase the good cholesterol, but it also there to support these claims. They have increases total cholesterol and “bad” said coconut water contains calcium, cholesterol (LDL). Overall it doesn’t magnesium and phosphorus, but in measure up against unsaturated fats reality only contains a small portion of that lower the bad cholesterol (LDL) and these. Regular everyday foods such increase the good (HDL)1. as fruits and vegetables provide these nutrients in foods vital to a healthy lifestyle. Plain water is the best alternative to coconut water – it will hydrate you and not hurt the hip pocket.

So what about coconut oil? It is taken from the flesh of the coconut leaving

The Dietitians Association of Australia supports the Australian Dietary Guidelines2 that all Australians should avoid foods high in saturated fats and choose foods high in unsaturated fats. The bottom line – coconut oil doesn’t fit this.

1. Dr. Laurence Eyres. Coconut Oil and the Heart [Internet]. Heart Foundation; 2014 September [cited 2016 January 01].

Available from: http://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/uploads/Evidence_paper_coconut_August_2014.pdf 2. National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). Australian Guide to Healthy Eating [Internet]. Department of Health & Ageing; 2013 [updated 2015 July 27; cited 2016 January 07]. Available from: http://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines/australian-guide-healthy-eating

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Enjoy the therapeutic qualities of a Salt Cave at Earth & Spirit Energies.

Salt Therapy works by grinding therapeutic grade salt into very fine particles which are then dispersed throughout the room as a dry aerosol. These fine particles are then inhaled in through your airways reaching the entire respiratory tract.

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INTRODUCTORY OFFER FOR NEW CLIENTS Buy one session and get one free OR bring a friend for free

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42

The magic of the man I never met

When ANDREW MOLE first went to Tom Bowen in Geelong in the 1960s he discovered a man who could actually make major; and permanent changes, to his physical wellbeing.

So he was delighted to find a Bowen disciple working in Echuca-Moama and Rochester.

D

ivorce changed Vicki Zegelin’s life — and a lot of people would agree.

People who did not know her pre-divorce, but are very glad they know her now.

Because Vicki says divorce gave her the freedom to follow her study and work, first in massage and then in practicing the Bowen Technique.

“And I have never looked back,” the triumphant specialist says.

One thing of which Vicki has never been shy is work — before entering the health industry (on top of the farm) she worked in a supermarket, aged care, dairy factory, as a herd sampler, in data management at Murray Goulburn and as a mother to two sons.

But inevitably she gravitated back towards the body; something she said had always intrigued her.

“I actually had my first Bowen treatment 21 years ago and even then, when I had nothing to do with the health profession, it had a profound effect on me.

In 2008 she graduated in remedial and relaxation massage from the Murray College of Health Education, hung up her shingle in Rochester, and soon after in Echuca, as a part-time professional.

“I looked into seeing what I needed to do to learn how to do it back then, but it was too expensive, had too many classes and I had a baby on the way and was working on the family mixed dairy farm.”

Next came a course in business management and Vicki steadily built her little enterprise into a fulltime business — two days a week in Rochester and three in Echuca.

>>>

43

“

I ACTUALLY HAD MY FIRST BOWEN TREATMENT 21 YEARS AGO AND EVEN THEN, WHEN I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HEALTH PROFESSION, IT HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT ON ME.

“

At work: Vicki Zegelin practicing the Bowen Technique.

Photo: Rusty Woodger

But for her the pivotal moment has been the completion of her qualifications in Bowen Therapy.

and complaints, as well as to treat the body holistically.”

Trading as Zyacklin Therapies — she admits with

“Bowen is a soft-tissue modality which works over specific points on the body,” Vicki said.

a laugh it was a combination of her maiden and

“Bowen is different from other hands-on modalities in that it uses ‘moves’ which challenge against a muscle and then rolls over the area to send a signal, via the fascia, to the brain.

client base in Echuca and may eventually relocate

married names — Vicki is building a stronger from Rochester.

And most of those clients, once introduced to it, only want Bowen Therapy.

“The brain then sends the move to where it is needed in the body.

Vicki perfected her training with her two favourite

“Bowen is multifaceted in that it works on the physical, as well as the energetic, body.

“They both play football and while initially I

“The fascia is the connective tissue just under the skin and it connects us head to toe and it is because Bowen works through the fascia that the moves can be very gentle, often feeling like not much is going on.

“Bowen can be used to treat very specific areas

44

guinea pigs — sons Nathan and Daniel. practised remedial massage on them now all they want is Bowen to deal with their niggles, sprains and anything else that comes along,” she said.

Vicki has an agenda to get better at what she does, and build a bigger business.

“Experience is my ambition,” she said. ■

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Sally Williams

Soul Nurturer

CHEF Dave Hollamby has had a meteoric impact on the Echuca-Moama restaurant scene.

He dazzled the judges in winning the inaugural The Great Taste of Echuca-Moama cook-off.

Then absolutely stamped his mark on the industry by winning it again last year.

Clearly the co-owner of Echuca’s Cock’n’Bull Boutique Hotel — with 13 years’ experience as a chef in Ireland and Australia — is a culinary class act.

When asked to prepare a recipe for Bella’s readers Dave turned to rice paper rolls, which he labelled a great healthy snack; or an ideal meal for the warmer months.

“I have used cooked tiger prawns here but you could substitute shredded chicken, crab meat, roast pork or simply keep them vegetarian,” he said.

THE GREATEST TASTE IN ECHUCAMOAMA VIETNAMESE RICE PAPER ROLLS A LA HOLLAMBY Ingredients: 100 g vermicelli noodles 10 medium cooked prawns, peeled, deveined and butterflied ½ continental cucumber pickled carrot (see recipe) Freshly picked herbs; coriander, basil, mint, Vietnamese mint (about ½ bunch each), 10 sheets rice paper Method: Soak the noodles with boiling water for five minutes, or until translucent. Then refresh with cold water, strain and season with a little sesame oil.

Peel the cucumber, cut in half lengthways, remove the seeds and slice into thin strips.

Soak one sheet of rice paper in a bowl of water for about 30 seconds or until completely soft.

Carefully lay the softened paper out flat on a chopping board.

Layer the ingredients on the bottom edge of the sheet, wrap the bottom edge over the filling, fold in the two ends and roll up firmly.

Repeat this for the remaining rolls, cover with cling film and refrigerate until ready to serve.

“The fillings dressed with a little dipping sauce also make a beautiful, fresh salad.

“Pickled carrots will last for at least two months in the fridge and will add some zing to any salad or sandwich.”

NOUC CHAM (VIETNAMESE DIPPING SAUCE) Ingredients: 80 g palm sugar, finely grated 75 ml fresh lime juice (about 2 limes) 3 tbsp fish sauce 1½ tbsp water 1 clove garlic, minced 1 medium red chilli, finely chopped Method: Mix the grated palm sugar with the lime juice, fish sauce and water until dissolved.

Add garlic and chilli and set aside for one hour to infuse.

PICKLED CARROT Ingredients: 8 medium carrots ½ cup castor sugar + 2 tsp 1 tsp salt 1 cup warm water 1¼ cups white vinegar

47

Method:

Dave Hollamby’s Vietnamese rice paper rolls — a signature dish for the awardwinning chef.

Peel the carrots and cut into 3cm long matchsticks.

Mix the carrots with 2 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt and set aside for five minutes.

Rinse the carrots well with cold water and drain.

Stir ½ cup of sugar into the warm water until dissolved and then add the vinegar.

Pack the softened carrots into a sterilised jar, cover with the pickling liquid and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. ■

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48

In pursuit of an empowering travel experience T

aking a holiday that would be as enjoyable for teenagers as their parents — and which would provide opportunities to make a difference in the world and the lives of others — was the catalyst for Empowered Experience Tours.

Travel planner Lynda Reid has developed a relationship with Empowered Experience Tours, which incorporate meaningful, life-changing experiences with purposeful travel.

“The first experience is a not-for-profit holiday to South Africa guided by experienced tour operators. We will spend time living with the locals in a black township, visit a home for neglected children, and embark on mountain climbing and safari adventures — all unplugged opportunities to live life to the fullest and connect with both family and the rhythm of Africa.”

Lynda said its founders have collaborated

Lynda said in the Bali participants will be

with like-minded people and organisations

surfing, white-water rafting, salsa dancing,

worldwide to create incredible and inspired

and biking through rice paddies. She said

experiences that are fun and affordable —

Experiencers will trek through mountains to a

experiences that tick all the boxes.

developing village where there is no water for

“One of its primary objectives has been to offer experiences in popular countries of the world at a cost making it possible for women and families to create unforgettable memories and make a difference in our country and in the world,” Lynda said.

“What began as a mother-and-son experience

nine months of the year.

“The tour organisers have worked with Balinese locals to co-ordinate projects that best serve their needs,” Lynda added.

“One is a collection system for rainwater; another is a local after-school program.

has quickly grown into parent-teen experiences,

“Experiencers will also have the opportunity to

including several designed specifically for

get involved with a nearby orphanage — not

single parents.

because the children are a tourist attraction,

“Also coming are experiences for women only,

but because we want to create meaningful

and several wellness weekends — abroad and

experiences where families from different

closer to home. Experiences have started this

corners of the world can interact and learn from

year, with tours to South Africa and Bali.

one another.

“Each offers the perfect mix of relaxation and

“The Bali Tour leaves in April and South Africa is

adventure — immersion in local culture and the

July for school holidays. Later this year will also

opportunity to make a difference in the lives of

see new experiences in Canada.

others.

“At the end of an Empowered Experience, each experiencer walks away with lasting memories and new skills, saying ‘I can cook an awesome

“Empowered Experiences Tours can also be customised to suit your group or individual needs.”

Nasi Goreng’ or ‘I have taught an orphan in

For these tours and more phone Lynda on

Cape Town how to play football’.

0417 301 963. ■

49

Simple, and simply stunning

An easy guide: Cassidy McGill after the six step makeup tutorial.

By Tara.

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50

W

hen it comes to making up, Willow Tree Beauty Lounge’s Sam Morgan is likely to be the best friend you will ever have.

With more than a decade behind blushers and brushes, the past four as owner of her own business, Sam has been transforming many of the faces in Echuca-Moama — as well as from much further afield.

To celebrate the launch of Bella she has taken time from her busy schedule to provide our readers with her six simple steps to achieving the best possible look in the shortest possible time.

“It’s a simple look that takes an inexperienced person 20 minutes, and five or 10 more minutes to move to the night look,” she said.

DAY LOOK Step 1. No makeup

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

Cleanse and moisturise face. Apply primer.

Step 2. Base and brows Apply your chosen foundation and fill in your eyebrows. In this case Young Blood’s loose powder and brow artiste.

Step 3. Eye shadow Apply eye primer and a soft skin tone eye shadow over the entire eyelid. In this case Young Blood’s charismatic eye duo Calla Lily.

Step 4. More eye shadow Apply graceful eye duo (apricot) over the mobile lid followed by English tea in the crease in a deep ‘C’ shape.

Use a darker shade and small brush to apply eye liner.

Step 5. Blush highlighter contour Apply lipstick and mascara.

Apply blush on the cheekbone.

Contour the outer nose, corners of the forehead, jawline and underneath the blush line.

Highlight under the brow, in the corner of the eye, the ridge of the nose and on top of the lip in the centre.

MOVING TO A NIGHT LOOK Step 6. More eye shadow Apply a deeper eye shadow. In this case Azure along the bottom lash. Deepen the eye with Calla Lilly.

Apply more mascara, eye liner and lipstick.

If makeup has been worn during the day touch up blush and contour. ■

STEP 5 Eye shaddow

STEP 6 More eye shaddow

51

Highlight

Blush

Contour

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Phone (03) 5480 1027

The barriers come tumbling down

Mum look: Alex Melville at one of Emma Carmody’s Tumble Tot lessons.

54

Emma Carmody has been involved in gymnastics for most of her life so it’s no surprise she teaches children to tumble. She told TYLA HARRINGTON how and why she does it.

W

hen she was only four Emma Carmody was bouncing off the walls of her parents’ Bendigo home.

coaching, as I wanted to give children the same

Clearly, here was a girl born for gymnastics.

young.”

And boy; was she ever.

At 11 Emma was competing for Australia and would eventually be ranked eighth in the world.

Add a World Cup title in 1997 and several Australian titles and you have a snapshot of just how far that tumbling tot had come from her early days ricocheting around the family home.

So it comes as no surprise the 35-year-old last year decided to establish a Tumble Tots program in Echuca-Moama.

Operating under the umbrella of Palmer’s Gym — which celebrated its 40th year in Bendigo this year — it now involves about 80 children twice a week.

“It’s slowly growing. These things do take time,” Emma said.

“Tumble Tots has been running in Bendigo for

was, and is, everything to me. I returned to opportunities that were given to me, when I was Emma can rattle off ways it has helped her, which is why she wanted to help other children.

“Only the smallest percentage of athletes compete at the highest level but a lot of people participate in gymnastics to assist them with their other sports or activities.

“It doesn’t just teach you to cartwheel and somersault, it teaches you everything.

“Kids learn to listen through instruction, handeye co-ordination, co-operation, confidence and discipline.

Across the border the program is held at the Moama

Sporting

Complex

every

Monday

with classes from 10.30 am until 2.30 pm and 10.30 am until 12.30 pm on Tuesdays.

“I do four classes for 2–3 year olds, 3–4 year olds and 4–5 year olds,” Emma said.

“That’s just a guide for parents because obviously not all two year olds are the same because they don’t develop at the same rate.

“I would rather them be in a class where they are on the same level as the others, as the kids really enjoy it.”

Emma’s right.

“We also use gymnastics for rehab.

“And kids learn about taking risks. They have to jump from a trampoline onto a mat — that’s not easy for a young child.

“Instead of directing their children, parents get to experience movement alongside them. The

six years. Before we started in Echuca-Moama

activities are directed by the child.”

I would regularly get calls from parents here

Emma started Tumble Tots in Bendigo because

asking about the program, so I decided to bring

there wasn’t much available for her then two-

the program to them.

year-old Amelia.

The children do enjoy it.

You can tell how much when you sit in on one of her sessions.

In just a 15-minute window their progress is obvious.

They take bigger jumps, deal with bigger risks and eventually show bigger smiles.

Meanwhile Emma is reminded of that bouncingoff-the-wall child she once was.

“For me gymnastics started as a recreational

“I designed my program with her in mind,

thing but it really grew from there. It was never

using my gymnastics background and 8 years

something that was forced on me — it was

classroom teaching experience,” she said.

something I wanted to do. I just loved to fly.

bouncing through our doors in Bendigo.”

“At the start, we only had six clients — I roped

A quick smile to herself and it’s back to business because she’s got tumbles to teach.

For more information visit the Tumble Tots

“It ended up taking me across the world to

in my friends with children to trial my new

Facebook page or email palmerstumbletots@

China, Canada, America and Europe. Gymnastics

program — now we have about 250 children

gmail.com ■

55

Kind heart: Baking from the Heart volunteer Ev Holzer.

56

Sharing the pain — from the heart H

ow do you ease the pain of someone facing a life-threatening illness?

For most, cooking is a daily chore; but not for the

For its first month in November it delivered 33

volunteers at ENH.

boxes of goods.

There is no easy answer, and every case is

Volunteer Ev Holzer said whichever way you

different.

look at it; it really is from the heart.

But

a

legion

of

volunteers

at

Echuca

Neighbourhood House (ENH) is determined to help make a difference.

And for them, their part is ‘Baking from the Heart’.

“We get all sorts of cakes and biscuits both plan and beautifully decorated,” Ms Holzer said.

“It’s important to give back to your community and this is a way people can do that,” she said.

“It’s quite an incredible feeling to know you are helping people.

“You really are a part of something much bigger

“It’s quite a big task — Rhiannon did such a great job doing it on her own. She came to us in the hope that we might be interested and we were.”

Ms Holzer said she would encourage more people to get on board the program.

Every six weeks a group of volunteers drop

than yourself, and that’s a great thing to know.”

in baked goods and give them to ENH, which

ENH took over the program from founder and

boxes the food and delivers it to palliative care

former Riverine Herald editor Rhiannon Horrell

you can contact Echuca Neighbourhood House

patients.

late last year.

on 5482 6914 or info@enh.org.au

If you are interested in being part of the program

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58

Having a little skin in the game

Rochester mother of two Carole Ciavarella has evolved from artist to life model — and enjoyed it so much she has turned it into a family enterprise. >>>

59

“

LAST YEAR I ALSO DID IT FOR PEOPLE I DIDN’T KNOW, AND THEN I WAS A BIT NERVOUS.

“ I

n a small country town, with an enthusiastic art circle of girlfriends, eventually someone has to put up their hand for life drawing sessions.

But even when you know everyone in the room,

So much so she has invited husband Michael and

climbing naked onto a bench or table; or standing

their 20-year-old daughter Laura to share the

beside a chair, is still a big call.

load — and they have.

It helps, of course, if one of the circle is French

However, 17-year-old son Alexander is showing

born, with that certain je ne sais quoi approach

absolutely no interest in continuing the family

to life, as well as life drawing, than some of the

tradition.

When not being drawn or painting — she has

The group has even used the granddaughter of

produced one painting a year for the past five

slightly more conservative locals.

it’s not exactly like falling off a log, in fact Carole

“But men are not good, they are too square, they

has never fallen, but it is something she finds

don’t have the nice curves of a woman,” she

much easier to do.

laughed.

“When the group has a workshop, which might run for two weeks in a row, you spend a lot of time naked and sitting still.”

Sitting still, however, is not Carole’s true forte.

Which is why Carole Ciavarella got to drop her

one of its members — and have recruited the odd

years to exhibit with her friends — she is still flat

drawing, drop her modesty (and her drawers)

backpacker looking for a few extra dollars.

out.

and become the object of everyone’s very close attention.

“The longest pose I have to hold is no more than 15 or 20 minutes,” Carole said.

But they are not, Carole assures, judging her body,

She has just got involved in bobbin lace making with an Echuca-based group (“it was something

“I am not a professional model, that’s about as

I always wanted to do in France but never got

long as I can go, but I understand the really

around to it”), does mosaics, spins wool which

No, they are simply seeing her as lines, lines they

experienced models can hold a pose for much

she then crochets, knits and weaves on a small

can transfer to their paper.

longer.

loom and occasionally has her own sheep.

not “looking at what’s nice — or not”.

“In our classes people are still learning, so in a

“In my case if I even get an itchy nose I have to

normal session we start off with quick position

stop and scratch it and then resume the pose I

sketches then you move to a new pose,” Carole

was in,” she said.

said. girls and I had known them for years,” she said.

“Although last year I also did it for people I didn’t know, and then I was a bit nervous.”

Today, after almost four years of life modelling,

she also insisted on having the room temperature at what works best for her.

“However, the position you choose is important,

“Really, in the end it was easy, it was just for the

But getting back to her life drawing Carole said

you have to challenge the people drawing you.”

Just because she is the skin specialist it doesn’t

You can’t, she said, work if it is too cold.

“Sometimes it is too hot for the artists but I don’t care, so long as I am comfortable.”

mean Carole has given up her art.

She has even tried to sketch Michael when he has

If the artists don’t like it, they can always shed a

been the model.

few garments. ■

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60

Posing for art: When her hand went up, for her clothes to go down, life model Carole Ciavarella discovered a new sense of artistic freedom.

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61

THIRTY SOMETHING

Will someone please just make up my mind O

h, my God.

Which of course brings us to babies.

shopping, washing, cleaning, drop off and pick

If I get made over just one more time never

One minute I am a thoroughly modern woman – a

up, more nappy, more feeding, more shopping,

mind my boyfriend, I swear not even my dog will

career, great friends, the obligatory boyfriend, the

vacuuming and cooking times.

recognise me.

dog and my own mortgage.

I’ve been there; I’ve seen how it works.

And I love my dog.

I’m a girl going somewhere.

I’ve had all my meals made over.

Until I go to mum’s.

My wardrobe gets an almost monthly overhaul.

Then apparently the degree, the senior position,

Or makeup — I simply can’t keep up.

the salary, the travel and the success mean

Then just this week I read in the paper that

“And how was your day darling? Only squeeze in an hour for lunch?

nothing.

women in my age bracket need to seriously make

By the time my sainted mother was my age she

over their retirement strategy.

had children at school.

Then there’s my body.

Aren’t I thinking about children, surely I could feel my biological urges?

Oh, my God. Once upon a time my only concern was ‘does my bum look big in this?’

But science and marketing are taking me way beyond that.

I have to worry about body parts I never knew existed — and if they did, I certainly didn’t have them.

Pecs, lats, glutes (see bum/big above), triceps (not a three-wheeler bike) and quads (which I had

“What did I do?

“Well it’s nice of you to ask, I’ll just run you through a few things — when you can get your face out of your Facebook.

“Oh, I’m sorry, you’re checking the time to meet the boys for a basketball game? Oh, you’ll be back about 10? Oh, don’t worry about that dinner I’ve

Well, yes, I feel urges, but they are hardly the type I am going to sit at the kitchen table and discuss

spent the day cooking?”

with her, are they?

Yes mum, that sounds the life for me.

You know where I am coming from girls, right?

A thoroughly deflated thoroughly modern Ms, I

So then she starts to rattle off the names of my old school friends who are married, not occasionally living in sin like her daughter.

Who have children, not a fantastic expense

head home to console myself with my frequent flyer points balance; some no-strings attached cuddling with my dog and total command of the remote control.

And get out my hot pink smartphone and delete

account.

always thought occurred when some misbegotten

Some of whom still have husbands, although you

sister had way too many kids at once).

would hardly know it come nappy, feeding, crying,

Lunch

next week’s lunch with mum.

Another one of those urges. ■

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62

UPSIDE DOWN FUN FOR THE LITTLE ONES OF ECHUCA MOAMA Cnr Echuca and Martin Streets, Moama NSW 2731 Contact: palmerstumbletots@gmail.com | Mobile: 0428 990 819 Website: palmersgym.com.au tumble tots echuca

63

eisforemma

64

helloprettypoppy.com.au Shop 1, 201-203 Pakenham Street, Echuca VIC 3564 (03) 5480 0162