AMBASSADOR STORY - JESSIE O'MEARA

It’s time to learn a little more about our Real Active Ambassadors and this week we caught up with the beautiful, bright and bubbly Jessie. We talk all things life and find out what led her to become a Real Active Ambassador. We just love how body positive Jessie is and, even whilst in lockdown in Melbourne, she is openly sharing her positivity and infectious personality through Instagram, brightening our days one post at a time.

• How are you going with the lockdown situation in Melbourne?

At first, I was super flat and sad, almost a bit angry, which is a very strange emotion for me to feel. I tried to honour these feelings and accept them without judgement. I gave myself a few days to wallow but then said to myself “let’s go, let's make the best of this!” As a dance teacher from Melbourne, I have no job at the moment and haven’t had one since late March.

I’m looking at this time as one to care for myself. For me, that's face masks (clay ones not the medical ones lol), dancing, meditation and yoga. I set no expectations for the day and set myself one simple task... and if I do that, I can be content. If I get more done it’s a fun bonus, it helps me to feel calmer and more peaceful.

I’ve also jumped into studying things I’m passionate about. I just started a diploma of nutrition. I’ve also completed my Reiki level 1, my Barre Pilates course (both via Zoom) and I am currently doing two online crystal and crystal gridding courses! I’m trying to not force anything but if I feel called/pulled to do something I will. We are going through a pandemic, just be gentle with yourself for sure!

• What inspires you?

OMG this has to be the hardest question to answer!!! What and who doesn’t inspire me!? If you follow my Instagram, you’ll know my big journey, but in short, I am now well on the way to creating the life I truly want. One of the big things is surrounding myself with the kindest and most inspiring souls. Everywhere I turn in life I am inspired. From my family, to my friends, to my treatment team, to my energy healers, yoga and Pilates instructors and guides, I am constantly inspired and gently nudged to push myself and grow continuously. 

• What are your passions?

My main passions are dance, yoga, Pilates and connecting with my spiritual side through things like Reiki. I think that my passions really align with my values, hopes and dreams. I kind of feel like my whole life is aligned at the moment and it’s a beautiful feeling! 

So often you see “tall poppy syndrome” and honestly in my past I have fallen into that, but now I get so inspired watching other people thrive, it's just beautiful. Someone else succeeding doesn’t take anything away from you. I saw a quote ages ago, I forget how it exactly went but basically it was saying that a candle can light another candle and the first one won’t go out... So basically, you helping someone else means you can both flourish, it's not like by helping someone flourish it dims your light. You both shine on.

• What inspired you to start your Instagram account?

The day I started my Instagram was one of the darkest days of my life. I was extremely sick with anorexia and one day away from being hospitalised. I was in complete denial but was just skin and bones. I had no life. I slept all day and all night too. I didn’t move anywhere, you’d find me either in bed or on the couch.

That day was just like the rest, it was in December, a hot day about 40 degrees Celsius but I was freezing cold and curled up with a doona cover. I knew in one day I would be in hospital and my life would change. So, I decided to start documenting. I posted a photo of myself and a little bio explaining that I was about to start my recovery journey and was looking to make friends and help each other through these hard times.

My page now is a stark contrast to this. I talk all things BODY POSITIVITY and SELF LOVE!!! I want every single human to see just how beautiful they are, inside and out, at any height, any size, any colour and any sexuality. We are all beautiful beings who deserve to love and be loved.

I enjoy posting cute photos of my belly (haha) along with my yoga practices and any life lessons I stumble through. It's so cool to just have a happy little corner of the internet.

• What's your approach to health & fitness?

I’ve always been a super active person. When I was young, I enjoyed squad swimming and dancing. Soon dancing would take over and I did it 4 or 5 nights a week after school. After I finished year 12, I went into an intensive full-time dance course where I would train 5 days a week from 9am-4pm. It was tough as hell but I loved it. I also practiced yoga and Pilates in the evenings through this time.

I have always loved movement and being active, but now I realise the majority of the activities I love involve music and for me no music = no exercise! Movement to music is my thing and I get so much joy from it. When my eating disorder really hit, I couldn’t exercise because I wasn’t physically able, then in recovery, exercise was banned. I found this really hard as exercise is such a stress relief for me but I also knew I was abusing it too and it wasn’t helping my eating disorder.

So, I took a one-year break, just to let myself heal and not corrupt my movement again. I have been exercising and moving for 7 months now and I LOVE it!! Taking the break was what I needed, now I have a beautiful relationship with it. I do it for fun, for health benefits e.g. heart health, for socialising and just joy as opposed to punishment. I’m really grateful I can have this realisation at a young age. Now if I feel like moving, I do and if I don’t I don’t.

Find something you truly enjoy and, if you enjoy it, you will always be inspired!

• What's your favourite quote?

I personally have more mantras than quotes as they are short and I can repeat them over in my head. I have “no mud no lotus” tattooed on my arm, so that's definitely my favourite. It has got me through many tough times. It means that just like a lotus grows in mud, we bloom, even after tough times. My Aunty sent me one the other day too that has really stuck and I love! “She could never go back and make some of the details pretty. All she could do was move forward and make the whole beautiful”.

• Why did you want to become a Real Active ambassador?

Real Active found me (as a customer) when I was in a dark time, about 4 years ago. I read a quote that was posted that said, “If you own your breath, no one can steal your peace”. I began initially following for more of these amazing quotes! I just wanted to brighten up my life and boy did they do that. Seeing Carlie’s beautiful smiling face, the positive quotes and the amazing vibe of the business made my heart feel so happy.

Soon, I was a customer and just loved the products too. I just felt such a connection to Real Active, it's such a combination of physical, mental and spiritual health and I love that. We share so many of the same values and I just felt so supported and cared about.

When the opportunity to become an Ambassador came up, I jumped at it! I wanted in on this beautiful tribe and to support and be supported by an amazing group of people. Boy am I lucky, this tribe is amazing, like no other.

• What is your favourite Real Active product?

My favourite Real Active product?! Now that's hard because I genuinely love them all. I guess my favourite would have to be my most used - my pink 1.4L bottle! It comes everywhere with me. It's big enough to help me meet my water needs but the perfect size to carry around with me through the day. I set myself a goal of drinking minimum one a day. Although, I have ordered a beach towel and to say I'm excited is an understatement. So, I might just have a new favourite soon!  

Wow, isn’t Jessie just an amazing ray of sunshine!? She has been through some very difficult times in her life and we are so happy that she has moved forward to such a positive place in life. You can follow her journey on her Instagram page here. 

We look forward to sharing more of her story with you all soon.

*If you are struggling with an eating disorder or have body image concerns, visit The Butterfly Foundation.