In this episode, you will learn 10 FACTS about Julie , what age she would like to go back to and what advice she would give herself at that age! We also talk about the main causes of body image issues, how they come up and how she overcomes them. And we discuss what aging means to her and to her body.
You can READ the interview transcript HERE
10 Facts About Julie
(at the time of the project)
1. 60 years old.
2. Julie is born in Australia, in a town called Cowra which is in the central west of New South Wales, better known as canola country.
3. Julie was raised on a farm. So, she grew up barefoot, crazy and running through the bush.
4. lived in many, many different places. when she was 16, she took up a job in a bank in Bathurst, then moved to Canberra for a while, then to a small coastal town just down from Wollongong called Kiama and then to Sydney.
5. Julie is single with a friend with benefits. So, she has just discovered that that's a good idea rather than a relationship.
6. Julie currently works four jobs! She is a workplace trainer and teaches interpersonal skills leadership, management, coaching. So, developing people is her main job.
7. She is also an aqua aerobics instructor which is something she’s very passionate about, which helps keep her fit. She is also a fitness coordinator for her area in Hornsby Aquatic and Leisure Centre.
8. Julie loves lots of colour. Her favourite colour is purple.
9. Julie is bisexual and leans more to the lesbian side. She has had both relationships, and she’s probably happier with women. She knew this right from a young age but growing up in a small country town this was challenging.
10. Julie has two children of her own, a son and a daughter. And three stepchildren, her oldest stepson is deceased, but she still has two stepchildren. So, there are two girls and two boys effectively. Now, she’s home alone, which she is quite enjoying.
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
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Hi, you're listening to the My Body, My Story podcast.
But it didn't, I didn't take it and make it define me or wasn't concerned about it. It's like, you know, I am who I am. And I've got what I've got that said.
This is the 45 over 45 chapter where we celebrate Rule Breakers and role models, the women who inspire us to live life our way and to show their sensuality beauty, soul, and true essence. Here we talk about what it's like to be 45 Plus, adjusting to the changes that come with time, and we listened to the stories about participants. If you have an interesting story, we'd love for you to participate. You can email us at info@aleksandrawalker.com That's Aleksandra spelled with a K S. Or visit our website aleksandrawalker.com
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the My Body My Story project and today with us Julie in the studio. And while she is sitting in the makeup chair, and Agata is doing makeup and hair for her. I'll be asking her a few questions. Hi, Julie.
Hi, how are you Alex?
Good. Thank you and welcome to the project. Welcome to our studio. And let's start and tell us 10 facts about yourself.
10 facts about myself well I'm turning 60 on the 28th of February, so in four days time, and I'm really excited about because getting older doesn't bother me in the least I'm here to experience it.
It's nice to hear.
I was born in Australia. I was born in a town called Cowra which is in the central west of New South Wales, better known as canola country. So when you see all those pictures of their beautiful yellow flowers across acres and acres, that's where I'm from. And I was raised on a farm. So I grew up barefoot, crazy and running through the bush. I've lived in many, many different places. So apart from Cowra, I then moved to the neighbouring town when I was 16 and took up a job there in a bank. And that's called Bathurst. And then I moved back to Canberra for a while I got married very young, very silly, but I did. And we moved to Canberra which is of course the nation's capital which to me was the big time and then from their own back to Kiama, which is a small coastal town just down from Wollongong. But I'm happily living in Sydney now I've been here since 1990 and lived through many transitions of life. I'm single, oh with a friend with benefits if I'm allowed to say that as you do at 60. So I've just discovered that that's a good idea rather than a relationship. I'm a workplace trainer. So I teach interpersonal skills leadership, management, coaching, developing people as my main job. I'm an aqua aerobics instructor which is something I'm very passionate about, which helps keep me fit. I'm also a fitness coordinator for our area. We're on a maternity relief. And I currently work for jobs. Wow, that keeps me fit and off the streets basically. So I can't give too many people too much cheek. My favourite colour is purple always and lots of colour. So finding some clothes for the photoshoot was a bit tricky. Dark I can do but light things not so much.
But you've got a nice purple top
yes, I do. I do. It was only a few years ago that one of my girls, my best girlfriends daughters came shopping with me. And she said, I've just got to do something with your wardrobe apart from purple. So she took me shopping and introduced me back to red. I hadn't worn red for 20 years because my uniform in the bank back then was red.
Bad memories.
Well, it was more that you just wore it every day. It's just quite interesting. Yeah, I got really tired of it. And it's quite hilarious sitting here looking out this window while my hair's been done. I'm looking straight ahead at the National Australia Bank star because that's where I worked. So it's quite a coincidence.
Nothing is Coincidence in this life…it's a sign (laughing)
could be …Hope it's not that I'm going back because I think I'm done with banking for sure. So something I really wanted to talk about today about myself was sexual orientation. I'm bisexual. I lean more to the lesbian side of the fence if there's a side of the fence should lean towards. I've had both relationships, and I'm probably happier with women do get a lot of conversation. You get a lot of shared tasks. It's amazing and things get done around the house. It's quite incredible. I think that's because that bit older and I knew this right from a young age but being in a small country town this wasn't something that you did challenging. challenging while you'd be bullied and ridiculous and the first girl that I was interested in, I was just laughed at. So I'd locked it away then for 30 odd years, so yeah, so that was something that was important to me to talk about about myself.
So are you participating in the meeting Mardi Gras?
No, I'm not because coming to the city at night to pest. Lazy, I think the prom man, I would like to and I think one year I will, but I'm just a bit lazy.
Yeah, but I wonder if this year they're doing it in the city? Because I think the previous couple of years they did it on the stadium.
Yes, I think so. I think that was sort of due to COVID range of different things that was happening at that time. Yeah, I think you're right. So I thought about my favourite place and effectively, it's not really a place my favourite place is the water. So if unless I'm dipped in water every day, I don't feel good. So and that's not just having a shower. That's a proper swim and, you know, proper exercise. So anywhere where there's water, really. So when I plan a holiday, I look for hotels with pools, and I plot a map of where I'm going to buy where we have swimming pools and or ocean beaches. So I love to ocean swim. I like doing beta bass swims out in the ocean. I swim in a pool every single day. So yeah, my favourite place is the water.
So you said your instructor for aqua aerobics?
Correct.
And so if someone wants to join your class, how they can find you?
Oh, that's easy. Hornsby Aquatic and Leisure Centre. Just look it up online. And look at our timetable. It sits online on the website. And we have quite an extensive fitness regime, even if aqua aerobics isn't your thing. Maybe Zumba might be or hip hop, or yoga or pilates. We have instructors on all those particular interests. So you can join us a member or test, run a couple of sessions and decide what you'd like to do from there.
Cool. That's great. Perfect. And you've mentioned you have daughters, you said,
I have two children of my own, so a son and a daughter. And I have three stepchildren, my oldest stepson is deceased, but I might still have two stepchildren. So there's two girls and two boys effectively.
Nice. So how they communicate with each other, like the near and far they are.