I come from a working class family in Yorkshire England and my parents had to struggle to make ends meet. Both my parents wanted me to have access to a better, easier life than they had. I knew that funds for going to university were non existent, but I also knew I wanted to travel and that I always had their emotional support and encouragement. At 17 years old I won the local competition for Miss Teen Great Britain, but I needed money to buy the dresses to compete in the finals in London. My dad was a bus driver at the time and there was literally no money to spare. Without hesitation he gave me the money instead of paying the rent and as luck turned out I won the contest and became Miss Teen Great Britain. Then I was able to pay any rent owed and much more.

After winning Miss Teen GB many opportunities opened for me -the most significant was a modeling contract in Tokyo where I ended up living for 8yrs. I then moved to Los Angeles and continued to model on and off into my 60’s. I’ve always been focused on health, wellness and longevity and at 50 years old I wrote a book called The Beauty of Aging. Since then I’ve continued to write and coach women on wellness, healthy aging, relationships and marriage. I’ve been married 42 years so I have quite a lot of experience in that area. I’ve continued to model and the past 5 years I’ve been very active and successful doing collaborations on Instagram as I have developed a substantial following on that platform. My main focus in both writing and brand collaborations continues to be on heathy aging, longevity and mortality. I’m currently working on a new book specifically focusing on death and mortality. The main focus being that in order to live a full, deep, meaningful life we have to embrace our inevitable mortality. Not with fear of dread, but as a reminder that our time in these human bodies is finite and fleeting and how we live the time we have left is entirely up to us.

When I left Tokyo at 26 to move to Los Angeles I had already been modeling for 10 years and wanted to try something new. I’d always loved to write and had kept journals for years, but I decided to go back to school and study writing at UCLA and various online writing programs. I began to submit articles and had several published. But my goal at 50 was to write a book about all I had learned in my life journey. That included my decades long meditation practice, marriage and a lifetime of self-care from the inside out. I approached a few agents and publishers and was rejected. I knew that rejection in publishing was expected, but I also absolutely knew that I had a lifetime of experience that I believed could help other women so I decided to publish the book myself. Since then I write inspirational posts on Instagram and am currently working on a new book called RIPE- Embracing Aging, Changing and Death. I am determined to find the right agent and publisher and have absolute faith that all the resources, support and people I need to publish my book will show up exactly when I need it. This faith and mindset has been my anchor throughout my life and so much of my success has unfolded organically from this mindset. Of course I’ve done the work and have a lifetime of experience. But do believe in the philosophy that luck is really about preparation meets opportunity. So I do my part and surrender the rest- and it’s always without fail in both my personal and professional life worked out for me.

Coming from a working class family in England nothing was given to me apart from my parents unconditional love and support. But I’ve always been a risk taker and knew early on that I had to create the life I wanted. So after winning Miss Teen Great Britain I wad then offered a contract to work in Tokyo as a model. Without a moment of doubt I accepted and at 17 years old I moved to Tokyo alone. The modeling agency did provide a translator and part time chaperone when I was working, but apart from that I was essentially alone. This was in the mid 70’s before faxes, emails and way before FaceTime and social media. I often felt lonely, with only slow mail to keep in touch with family back in England. Sometimes it was really hard, but I also had an innate knowing that I could get through the difficult parts and also thrive, learn and grow. I lived in Tokyo for 8 years and it really where I grew up in those formative years. Then at 26 I took another risk and moved to Los Angeles to be with a new love. Everyone in my circle in Tokyo told me I was making a huge mistake giving up the successful life I’d made in Tokyo. Fortunately I didn’t listen to them and trusted my own inner voice and guidance. We’d only known each other a few months and got married-again another risk that I was warned against and didn’t listen to. My husband and I have been married 42 years so I guess I made the right choice. Since then in both my personal and professional life I’ve taken many risks that have contributed to my sense of confidence, self-trust and empowerment. And I intend to keep on pursuing adventures and taking risks until my very last breath.