Gina Chick, author of 'We Are the Stars' and winner of Alone Australia, shares her profound journey of resilience after facing unimaginable hardships. Alongside Hugh Van Cuylenburg, founder of The Resilience Project, she discusses the transformative lessons learned from 'dark nights of the soul.' Their conversation touches on the healing power of storytelling, embracing uniqueness, and the joy found in life’s challenges. They humorously recount childhood adventures and the complexities of sibling dynamics, offering insights into self-acceptance and growth.
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Wild Childhood with Strange Pets
Gina grew up with unusual pets like a red-bellied black snake and a blue-ringed octopus at home.
She also cared for injured birds, feeding them in her wardrobe socks and even at school, despite the social challenges.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Falling Out of the Van
Gina and her sister fell out of their dad's van during a bumpy drive and had to walk home 40 km alone.
Their dad initially didn't realize they were missing, showcasing a wild and free-range parenting style.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Eating Pages to Embrace Stories
At six, Gina read the Jungle Book and felt such connection that she ate the corner of the page to keep her friend Mowgli inside her.
She continually drew strength from literary characters to help navigate her life struggles.
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Gerald Durrell's 'My Family and Other Animals' is a charming and humorous account of his childhood spent on the Greek island of Corfu with his eccentric family. The book vividly portrays the island's rich wildlife and the family's various misadventures. Durrell's keen observations of both animals and people create a delightful narrative. The story captures the essence of a free-spirited upbringing in a natural paradise. It explores themes of family, nature, and the joy of discovery. The book remains a beloved classic for its warmth, humor, and celebration of the natural world.
We Are the Stars
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Gina Chick
Where Did I Come From?
Peter Mayle
Peter Mayle's 'Where Did I Come From?' is a beloved children's classic that helps parents and their curious children understand the facts of life. The book covers topics from love-making to birth in an age-appropriate voice, making it a trusted resource for sensitive and factual discussions about human sexuality. Illustrated throughout, it creates a safe space for families to learn together.
The jungle book
Rudyard Kipling
The Jungle Book is a collection of stories by Rudyard Kipling, published in 1894. The book follows the adventures of Mowgli, a young boy who is raised by wolves in the Indian jungle. The stories are set in a forest in India and feature a cast of animal characters, including Shere Khan the tiger, Baloo the bear, and Bagheera the panther. The tales use animals in an anthropomorphic manner to teach moral lessons and explore themes such as abandonment, fostering, law, freedom, and the human condition. The book is known for its richly imagined natural world and the complex relationship between Mowgli and both the jungle and the human world[2][3][4].
Gina Chick made her name as the inaugural winner of Alone Australia, but her story begins a long time before that. It involves unimaginable hardship, death grief, illness and injury. How has she learnt to sit with all that life has thrown at her, and remain joyful and true to herself, in the face of adversity?
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