Country Style – September 2019

MATINAJEWELLHADanidyllicrural

childhoodatRedHaven,a four-hectare

farmnearAlstonvilleinnorthern

NewSouthWales,whereshegrewup

surroundedbyhorses,cattleandan

orchard,only 10 minutesfromtheocean.

“MybrotherandI wouldcomehomefrom

school,dumpourbagsandgetstraighton

a horse.Itwasexcitingandliberatingto

beabletoexploreandtheonlyruleswere

tolookaftereachotherandbehomebefore

dark.Wehadthatopportunitytogetoutin

natureandworkthingsoutourselves,”

43-year-oldMatinarecalls.

Evergoal-oriented,Matinaexcelled

atsport,followinginthefootstepsofher

brotherMark,45.Weekendswerespent

atcompetitionsorhorseeventswiththeir

fatherRoger,a schoolteacher,andmother

HelenStanfield,a shopassistant.Although

a sportscareerbeckoned,a triptoChina

whenshewas 16 yearsoldrepresentingAustraliain

volleyballsetherona newcourse.Afterseeingsome

ofChina’simpoverishedareasshereturnedhome

determinedtohelpothers.

“IlistedallthethingsI wantedina career:humanitarian

aid,overseastravel,beinga leaderofa team,beingmentally

andphysicallychallengedanda scholarshipforuniversity

studysothatI wouldbefinanciallyindependent.I stumbled

acrosstheAustralianDefenceForceAcademyandbecame

anofficerintheArmy,”sherecalls.

Byage23,MatinawasappointedOfficerinCommand

oftheArmyDepartmentandDivingOfficerforthe

HMASKanimbla. Throughoutherextraordinary15-year

militarycareer,sheservedonfivemissionsandearned

sixAustralianDefenceForceservice

medals,aswellastwoRepublicofLebanon

warmedalsforbraveryonthebattlefield

andbeingwoundedincombat.While

servingasa UnitedNations(UN)

peacekeeperinthe 2006 Lebanonwar,

Matinatragicallylostfourteammates

whenthepatrolbaseatKhiamwas

bombed,andshesustainedinjurieswhile

intransitthatendedhermilitarycareer.

Medicallyretiredfromthemilitary,

herexperienceofwarwasdocumented

ina two-partinstalmentonABC

television’sAustralianStory. Matina

hasalsowrittena bestsellingbook,

CaughtintheCrossfire, whichwas

recentlyoptionedfora featurefilm.

Shenowsharesherexperiencetoinspire

othersasa leadershipstrategistand

keynotespeakeronleadingincrisis,

buildingresilienceinteamsanddealing

withchange.Matinaalsorunsleadershipretreatsand

onlineprogramsandisanambassadorforProjectThankful

(partneredwiththeUNtoempowerwomenandchildren).

AlongwithherhusbandClent,43,andtheirdaughters

Sierra,seven,andfour-year-oldKyah,shenowlivesin

theNorthernRiversregionofNSW.“Tobeabletoreturn

homeandliveinthisbeautifulpartoftheworldreally

isa blessing.I livedinSydneyfora largepartofmycareer

whileservinginthemilitary,butthere’sa different

connectionina ruralcommunity,”shesays.“Clentgrew

upinVictoria’shighcountryona sheepandcattleproperty,

sohehasthatcountrygroundingaswell,andweboth

wantedtoprovidethatforourchildren.”

FindoutmoreaboutMatinaatmatinajewell.com PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

SHAE GILES AT SHAE STYLE PHOTOGRAPHY

ABOVEAsix-year-oldMatinaonPrincess,

attheAlstonvilleShow.“Sheregularly

buckedmeoffandmademewalkhome!”

WORDSCLAIREMACTAGGART

FORMER PEACEKEEPER MAJOR MATINA JEWELL (RETIRED) TELLS OF HER LOVE

OF HORSES, SPORT AND GROWING UP IN NORTHERN NEW SOUTH WALES.

36 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2019

MY COUNTRY CHILDHOOD