Myra Fordham Nominated Young Australian of the Year 2023

USPA NEWS - Myra Fordham showed fearlessness, bravery and determination to leave her violent partner who in 2016 left her with a severe brain injury resulting from domestic violence. She underwent surgery and was placed in an induced coma for 11 days. Fordham had to learn to walk and talk again, overcome anxiety, PTSD and mental dejection. The cognitive impairment and pain linked to her injury made it difficult for her to find employment so with courage she flexed her trauma experience to help others in similar situations.
Fordham, a proud Malijin Gurindji woman (Traditional Tribal Australian Aboriginal ), is now renowned public speaker, an internationally best-selling author and founder of Myra Fordham Coaching where she supports female entrepreneurs to conquer self-doubt and unleash the leader within by healing the past.

Fordham’s journey of resilience is a true manifestation of the power of positive affirmation and healing. Her story is expanding globally through her radio appearances with Podcaster ‘David Moore’ , ‘HOT 100 FM breakfast’ with Danni and Jake as well as ‘MIX 104.9’ with Dan and Sare B to name a few. Fordham has been nominated for several other prestigious awards including the International Women’s Day Migrant Woman Achievement Award 2022 , The NT Community Achievement Award , NT PHN Health & Wellbeing Finalist and the 2022 NT People’s Choice Award. Fordham says she now understands the meaning of intergenerational trauma after connecting with her mother’s father’s people and can still see the scars, her mother’s people were, due to the stolen generation. “Growing up as an Aboriginal-Chinese woman, I felt stuck between two worlds. Cultures within cultures, can be confusing and having to adapt to the western culture while gaining an education wasn’t easy for me. I had to discover who I was. Struggling with my own identity I learnt to adapt to Aboriginal ways, forgiving healing, accepting, understanding the core of family violence, drug and alcohol abuse, childhood abuse and racism”, said Fordham.

“My turning point was when I decided to stop the self-loathing and self-pity. “I decided to change my ‘circle of friends”, explained Fordham who went on to say, “People that had a positive outlook on life and who were genuinely happy with themselves and what they had achieved became my circle of friends who would encourage me and ‘picked me up when I felt down.” Fordham states her mission is to raise the consciousness of humanity by creating impact-driven leaders. Through her coaching and public speaking she creates a safe space for women to feel, to be seen, to be heard and understood. Her focus is to educate women on how to stand in their power to master their mindsets, which enables them to gain clarity, and confidence, to find their life's purpose and welcomes women’s groups globally to reach out to her.

Insofar as growing up as an individual of mixed heritage, Myra was impacted by the shallowness of individuals, who had no understanding of where she had come from and who she is. Myra now understands the meaning of intergenerational trauma after connecting with her mother’s father’s people and can still see the scars, her mother’s people were, due to the stolen generation. Growing up as an Aboriginal-Chinese woman, Myra felt stuck between two worlds. Cultures within cultures, can be confusing and having to adapt to western culture and gaining an education. Myra had to discover who she was… struggling with her own identity, learning to adapt to Aboriginal ways, forgiving healing, accepting, understanding the core of family violence, drug and alcohol abuse, childhood abuse and racism. As a result of being physically assaulted, Myra survived the trauma to the brain. She learnt to walk, to talk, deal with her cognitive impairments and created new neural pathways, so that she could relearn - relearn how to live again. Through the ordeal, Myra was determined to heal. She experienced anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, deep depression, suicidal tendencies, slurred speech and re-learnt how to walk and talk again. This was extremely challenging, as she was a young adult and was very hard upon herself.

Brooke Shields once said, "Someone said adversity builds character, but someone else said adversity reveals character. I'm pleasantly surprised with my resilience. I persevere, and not just blindly. I take the best, get rid of the rest, and move on, realizing that you can make a choice to take the good." Wishing Myra the best of success... Namaste.