HerStory: Fiona Keary

Posted on 28 September, 2014

‘Scratch the surface of anyone’s life and you’ll find a story just waiting to be told’. Whether that’s one of overcoming adversity, or tragedy, or determination, or bravery there are events that shape our lives, that define who we are, but that we simply don’t talk about every day. These are the stories we want to tell.

Our regular video series, ‘HerStory‘, uncovers the remarkable stories of Canberra women. These 30 minute segments are not your typical ‘interviews’…they’re informal conversations that might remind you of talks with your girlfriends over coffee or a glass of wine.

In our second episode, we talk to Fiona Keary, a fascinating woman, for a number of reasons. Fiona swapped a job as a corporate accountant to become an Image Consultant with her own company, Style Liberation, a move she made while living in London with her husband, Geoff, and eldest son, Oscar.

While preparing to return to Canberra from the UK, she went into labour when 28 weeks pregnant with youngest son, Max. Due to his prematurity and further complications after birth, Max was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP) – a disorder affecting a person’s ability to move. What followed has been nearly five years of riding the rollercoaster of life as the parent of a child with a disability.

But Fiona is remarkable; her sunny outlook is always an inspiration…and she has done much to raise awareness of, and funds for, the Cerebral Palsy Alliance ACT. This dedication recently saw her awarded Canberra Women in Business‘ Award for Outstanding Community Spirit.

But enough from me…let’s hear Fiona’s story in her own words. We pick up the story in November 2008, just before Oscar is born on their bathroom floor…

A note on watching HerStory

These segments unfold naturally and are all about the conversation – not shiny production and bells and whistles. Personally, I like to watch a bit at the start and then just listen while I work, or cook, or check Facebook. Think of them as a visual podcast (btw, let us know if you’d like to access them as a podcast and we’ll see what we can do).