‘Exercise
is even more
importantfor
mymental
health’‘you’ve
just got to
find the little
pockets of
sunshine in
each day’‘ es torie ar wha k nspirin ’
important than ever when shortly
after moving to Melbourne for Carrie
to pursue her radio dreams her
husband Greg was diagnosed
with brain cancer at
the age of 25. It left
a 22-year-old Carrie
completely blindsided.
“I don’t think anyone
plans to have cancer come
into their life,” says the
TV star. “Certainly, in your
early 20s, it’s the last thing
you think of. There’s no manual...
there’s no booklet you get; you have
to fly by the seat of your pants and it’s
really, really, really hard.
“I remember being given advice from
someone who was going through cancer
and them saying: ‘You’ve just got to find
the little pockets of sunshine in each
day.’ The little moments that make you
feel good for that day, because you can’t
look too far ahead.”
Despite battling for years, Greg
tragically succumbed to the disease in
2010, leaving behind his loving wife, and
son, Oliver.
“It took Greg’s life and that makes
me incredibly angry and upset,” says a
teary Carrie. “And I use these emotions
to push me forward to try and keep
working on raising money, raising
awareness, and trying to find
a cure.”
Launching Carrie’s
Beanies 4 Brain Cancer
Foundation five
years after losing her
husband, the bubbly
blonde has channelled
her energies into raising
close to $12 million
dollars towards research
into brain cancer a feat
that also saw her awarded the Order
of Australia medal. And with this year
marking a decade since Greg passed
away, the Melbourne-based personality
is even more focused on her mission.“I meet people every day who
have been touched by brain
cancer. So many stories
are absolutely tragic
and others are stories
of hope telling howthe
treatment they received
has prolonged theirlife
or the life of someone
they love. These stories
are what keep inspiring me
to keep going and to continue
raising money and raising awareness.”
Losing her partner early on hasn’t
been the only life event to have caused
a view change. Now a mum to three
children son, Oliver, from her »colours, or feeling your body from head
to toe. There’s an app called Smiling
Mind and it’s great for kids.
A friend got me onto it
when she was having
trouble getting her
little ones to sleep. So,
we’ll read a bedtime
story, and then we’ll
do meditation. They
go for four or five
minutes. It’s the same
principle as an adult
meditation, but they’re a little
bit more basic, which helps me!”
Practising meditation isn’t the only
tool in Carrie’s wellness arsenal. She
also swears by exercise to help her fulfil
the demands of her ‘day job’ co-hosting
Ten’s The Project (a prime-time gig
she’s held since 2009), and weekday
national show on the Hit Network,
while raising three kids and running
a successful charity.
“I’m definitely naturally drawn to
moving in fact, I barely stop!” the
39-year-old says, giggling. “I was a
dancer growing up, so I’ve always loved
moving and I definitely notice during
the weeks when I get extra busy and
I don’t get to go for a run, or go to
Pilates, that I’m not as sharp and feel
a bit flatter.
“Once upon a time, I would’ve
exercised every day, but I can’t do that
now. I find with the three kids and with
work and other commitments that I get
to workout maybe three times a week,
and that’s fine. I’ve adapted and changed
over the years, but yeah, it’s incredibly
important to me. To me, exercise is even
more important for my mental health
than my physical health. During certain
times in my life, going for a run and
clearing my head has been incredible in
helping to reset my mind.”An important mission
The ability to use exercise as a mental
health salve became even moreCARRIE’S
QUICK-FIX
POKE BOWLS
“This is a reguar for me and
my kids. We’ll often make our
own little poke bowls which
they love using noodles or
rice, veggies, some salmon,
and whatever else is in the
fridge. I’ll arrange the
ingredients on different pates,
and then have some Kewpie
mayonnaise (which is my
favourite), and a couple of
chilli sauces, or whatever,
avaiable to go on top. That
way, each kid can build their
bowl the way they want it.
Through the week it’s always
minimal ingredients for meals,
while on weekends we’ll
usually make something that
takes a bit longer.”be informed