I live with my husband in a beautiful house about 800 metres from the ocean at Aldinga Beach in South Australia. We love it here and feel like we have reached our life goal – well, one of them. The other goal is to enjoy it now we have it.

Life wasn’t always like this – I remember when I was growing up I always felt as though I was going through life for the sole purpose of pleasing my parents. The only problem with this was that I was the only person who knew about that goal.

Things did not really change when I went to boarding school. I was absolutely terrified I would let my parents down. I was 12 years old then and weighed 80 kg – not good for a 12 year old girl. I hated myself. I did not participate in sporting activities because I did not know what to do, I was so fat and out of shape I was useless in any event as far as participating was concerned. I really hated it and I hated myself.