5 Motivational Stars & Their Stories

However, it’s not always in the most obvious places that these stories exist.

Here is a list of 5 inspirational Aussie stars whose motivational stories show there is always more than meets the eye, and that there are no barriers too difficult to confront.

May their courage and bravery be contagious!

As an Olympic champion and Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductee, swimming golden girl Libby Trickett knows the dizzying peaks of professional sport. However, it was her brave and inspiring memoir 'Beneath the Surface' published in 2019 that shed light on the private mental health battles that were so neatly masked by her incredible accolades.

Forced to retire due to a wrist injury in 2013, Trickett’s abrupt exit from the world of elite sport left her in an unfamiliar situation away from the safety of the pool, an all too common narrative for retiring athletes. The sudden doubt and uncertainty saw the culmination of over a decade of suppressed anxieties and sadness begin to overwhelm Trickett, and a difficult battle with postnatal depression after the birth of her first daughter compounded these intense feelings.

The decision to reach out for help was a turning point in Trickett’s life, with the relief and clarity provided from speaking up allowing her to begin cherishing motherhood and life post-retirement.

Growing up in the rural township of Ivanhoe, New South Wales, Joel Thompson wasn’t afforded the luxury of a stable home-life that so many take for granted. At 18, Thompson decided to pursue his dream of playing professional footy, and his dream came true when he was signed by the Canberra Raiders in 2008.

However, throughout much of his career, Thompson, like so many others, put on the mask of a happy-go-lucky person at home for his wife and at the club for his teammates. Having never been taught how to articulate his feelings, Thompson’s struggle with depression could have ended tragically were it not for his wife’s suggestion to see a psychologist.

This breakthrough moment changed Thompson’s life, and led him to discover his passion for encouraging others to seek help, breaking down the stigma that surrounds the issue of mental health in society and the rugby league community. By sharing his story, Thompson’s work through the NRL’s ‘State of Mind’ program continues to teach people to put their hand up and speak out when they're in need, a lesson that saved Thompson’s life all those years ago.

Multi-award-winning humanitarian lawyer Rabia Siddique was born and raised in Perth, and was faced with the discrimination, abuse, and racism as an Indian Muslim growing up in Australia in the 1970s. It was this upbringing that inspired her to change the lives of others through justice, equality, and inclusion. After graduating from the University of Western Australia, Rabia began practicing law in her home state and later Singapore, before moving to the UK to pursue her dream of being a humanitarian lawyer.

Rabia went on to do humanitarian work all over the world, and received a Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service for her human rights work while serving in the British Army in Iraq where she also survived a traumatic hostage ordeal. In 2011 she would return to Australia to write and publish the book Equal Justice: My Journey as a Woman, a Soldier, and a Muslim which would go on to become a best seller. Rabia's life has seen her travel to all parts of the world and through this travel, she is sure to have many inspirational and motivational stories to tell.

Hugo Toovey is proof that you can face multiple life-threatening diseases and still share your story with grace and humour in order to help others.

CAPT Hugo Toovey is a 30 year-old Army Captain, founder of health-awareness movement ‘25 STAY ALIVE’, and an all-round survivor. From the outside Hugo appears to be your standard young Aussie bloke, however, the last 9 years of his life has been anything but normal. After consecutive cancer battles, he is missing a testicle, part of his reproductive system, all of his abdominal lymph nodes, his appendix, his large bowel and his rectum. Not only has Hugo survived both testicular cancer and bowel cancer, but he has recently been diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and again finds himself on active treatment.

Yet throughout all the surgeries, chemotherapy, hospital visits and ongoing battles with his mental health, Hugo is more determined than ever to save lives. He does this through his work as an ambassador for Movember & Gotcha4Life, and by hosting the mental health podcast “Behind the Uniform”.

Hugo’s selflessness and positivity in the face of his difficult health battles are a manifestation of the courage and resolve of all cancer survivors and chronic illness sufferers, making his motivational story a must listen.

Khadija Gbla is one of Australia’s most passionate and inspiring women. She is an award-winning human rights activist, inspirational speaker, facilitator and philanthropist. She has displayed great courage and determination in achieving her aspirations of giving women, youth and minority groups a voice at a local, state and international level. Khadija utilises her powerful and inspired voice to advocate equality and inclusion.

Gbla was born in Sierra Leone, spent her youth in Gambia, and as a teenager put down roots in Australia. Khadija was just 3-years-old when the war broke out in her country, Sierra Leone and 10 years later they attained refugee status and resettled in Adelaide, South Australia.

Having represented Australia at the Harvard National Model United Nations, Commonwealth Youth Forum and Australian and Africa Dialogue, Commonwealth heads of States Women’s Forum etc., she conducts her remarkable advocacy work in the fields of domestic and family violence, sexual health, racism, human rights, mental health, migrants and refugees and cultural diversity through her cultural consultancy, Khadija Gbla Cultural Consultancy.

Gbla’s strength and determination is archetypal of so many first generation Australians, and her endless pursuit to create opportunities and agency for the marginalised makes her story even more motivational and aspirational.

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