You can practice resilience in the rhythms of work as a sailor, soldier or aviator. You can also practice resilience when navigating struggles in relationships, when facing health challenges, or when pushing physical limits in exercise. I’ve learned lessons in resilience in all of these areas – sometimes in my own life but also from the experiences of others.

I love talking to people about how they endure in the face of difficulty or reading people’s stories of dreaming big and working hard to achieve. I borrowed The Girl Who Touched the Stars from my sister-in-law during a long flight when I realised that a woman who paddled 254 days around Australia likely had a few lessons for me. Bonnie Hancock became the fastest-ever athlete to circumnavigate Australia by paddle, the first woman and youngest person to accomplish the feat.. On 1 day paddling 213km she also broke the 24-hour paddle record, and then broke the record again with 235km.

It is an epic tale of resilience, chronicling a 12,700-kilometre paddle through relentless seas and shifting weather, facing dangers from sharks and crocodiles to near-death encounters, while enduring physical hardships like nausea, pain, and weight loss, alongside the profound emotional toll of isolation, loneliness, and pandemic border restrictions.. She embodied how resilience is built and practised, not when times are easy but in the face of challenges:

The experience also unfolded as a heartfelt exploration of personal growth.. At only 17, Hancock was already a professional Ironwoman (the surf ski version), and represented Australia in Surf Lifesaving at the Lifesaving World Championships as a Masters competitor in 2024. When she dreamed of joining the rare fellowship of people who paddled around the continent, she was tempted to let the idea drift. Yet she hung on to her dream and meticulously planned. At a number of points, people told her different sections could not be traversed but she took calculated gambles, including paddling up to 500km out to sea to traverse across the cold expanse of the Great Australian Gulf rather than hugging the coastline.

Along the way she celebrated learning lessons of slowing down to enjoy the places she paddled to rather than rushing to the next place, letting the beauty of nature remind her that a greater power must exist, and enjoying the fun and companionship of seals, whales, dolphins and albatrosses as well as chosen and spontaneous travel team companions.

It is an odyssey of personal endurance but also of the power of teamwork. With her first team member, Matt her husband, they recruited catamaran and ship skippers, a jet ski rider, coach and other supporters who tag-teamed in offering invaluable practical and moral support. Along the journey, she experienced generous and unexpected acts of Australian local hospitality. A colourful cast of characters came to her aid, offering timely rescues on the beaches and bays—especially in the remote outback locations. These moments added warmth and humanity to the adventure. Bonnie learned the value of the truism: “Alone we go fast, together we go far.”

The journey raised almost $100,000 for Gotcha4Life. Gotcha4Life promotes mental fitness to enhance wellbeing and prevent suicide, and one of its initiatives is its online Mental Fitness Gym. Hancock, as a Gotcha4Life ambassador, blogged why she saw mental health as important as physical fitness especially when COVID was at its peak:

“As an ex-ironwoman and all-around fitness enthusiast, I have always focused on my physical health to ensure I perform at my peak. Being fit and healthy not only means physically, but mentally too. In a year where the importance of mental health has never been so critical, I want to do my part in raising awareness and vital funds for Gotcha4Life.”

Gus Worland, Gotcha4Life founder, writes in the forward to The Girl Who Touched the Stars that Hancock’s story reminds us that

The Girl Who Touched The Stars is part travel memoir, part love story, part tribute to the strength of an enduring human spirit set against the backdrop of the vastness of Australia’s coastline and epic seas. Be encouraged to get it as a gift of resilience-building inspiration for yourself, or someone you care about encouraging.

Notes:

The book’s publisher details are Harper Collins/ ABC Books, 2024.

For those who like watching rather than reading, or want to see the author, hear her voice and see videos of her paddling, view the inspiring 10 minute TED video My Epic Journey Becoming the Fastest Person to Paddle around Australia.