For over a decade, Sam has shared her craft with communities across NSW who, in turn, shared their own stories of hardship and resilience. “While I was running these workshops, there was always one main person pushing for them because something had happened. There were stories of people experiencing terrible drought, floods and other things.” She recalled a time in Yass, when one person sat in on three workshops in a single day. “She was there because she came to talk – it had nothing to do with the wool or the crafting.” As time went on, Sam found herself burning the candle at both ends as she travelled from one end of NSW to the other to host her sold-out workshops. “I was running off little to no sleep, which is what started all of this in the first place,” she said, referring to her accidents, caused by fatigue. Sam’s focus has now shifted, but she keeps agriculture and rural communities at the forefront of her mind. She finished a Bachelor of Counselling two years ago and has embraced keynote speaking, with a large focus on rural mental health. Never one to sit still and as ambitious as ever, Sam embarked on a new challenge this year to raise funds for regional charities close to her heart: Rural Aid and Riverina Bluebell. Her fundraiser, named The Big Wheel, saw her wheel 400km across regional NSW in her everyday wheelchair, starting at Corowa, passing through Howlong, Albury, Culcairn, Henty, Cootamundra and Harden, to Yass where she crossed the finish line at eight days later. Her goal was to raise $200,000, but more than anything, she wanted to start a conversation about mental health in regional communities. “It is still a massively taboo subject, but mental health affects all of us. In the country, we are known for being resilient and getting on with the job, but behind many strong people are struggles that often go unseen.” 3– A story of resilience, natural Australian fibres, mental health awareness, creativity and the journey of a chick in a chair. >> ohhbulldust.myshopify.com DISCOVER OOHBULLDUST – 29 – Condobolin
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