Life is wild. As they say, ‘truth can be stranger than fiction’. I don’t know if I could ever have dreamed up the life I’ve lived — the highs and the lows, the open and hidden triumphs, and the battles you don’t see coming that take the wind right out of you. Everyone has their own story.

I know athletes often receive admiration for all they achieve on the courts, under the lights, after many years of sacrifice, but to me, everyone sacrifices — mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends. Sometimes real life can be much harder than the life of an athlete, yet you don’t get a medal for facing personal challenges head-on.

I have deep respect for every soul doing their best in life while holding onto kindness, care and integrity — even if we fall short of who we dreamed we would be or how we wish we’d handled certain situations. It’s all about the heart. The sincerity, the truth it holds.

That’s what connected me to Nadine when she first reached out: her heart. The older you get, the more life you live, the easier it becomes to sense the heart of a person — especially when your frequencies align.

When Nadine from Design Bay Jewellery reached out with her story and shared her passion for collaborating on a custom ring, I was very humbled, but I also knew the timing wasn’t right. I needed another 12 months to really gain clarity on who I was and where my heart was leading me before I could take a step forward in designing something special.

Most of my life has revolved around sport. My whole family trained in Taekwondo (even my mother eventually). My siblings and I all made it to the Olympics. I’m so proud of them, and I’ll never forget what it took to get us there.

I was fortunate enough to compete in three Olympic Games and achieve my childhood dream of becoming a World Taekwondo Champion. But that was only one of my childhood dreams. Sport is what we do, but sometimes your profession can blur your identity. And even though I’m grateful for everything it gave me, a big part of me wants to rebel — just to make sure it doesn’t hijack who I am at my core, or stop me from being brave enough to try something new.

My husband is also a multiple-time Olympian in Taekwondo. We grew up together, sharing our passion and supporting each other through the rollercoaster of high-performance sport. After the last Olympic cycle, we had to reflect deeply on where we were heading in life and what our big dreams might look like moving forward. We talked about creating a ring to symbolise our union — something special to celebrate our love and life beyond sport. When the opportunity came to design something meaningful with Nadine, it felt like the beginning of a second life and a new journey was aligning.

I chose the Pink Amethyst stone randomly online years ago, purely because I liked the look of it. Maybe it was like that other saying: ‘sometimes books choose you’? Maybe this stone chose me? Nadine explained the symbolic meaning behind it — a deeper connection to intuition and purpose, and the inner strength to embrace personal transformation. It gave me so much to reflect on.

When it came to designing the ring, I wanted to keep it simple — even though Nadine, being the artist she is, created so many beautiful versions to choose from. I gravitated towards a modern Art Deco setting for this humble stone, and I knew it had to be rose gold. I’ve always loved the softer look of rose gold on my mother, aunty and grandmother, who all had pieces brought from Poland.

My husband had the task of choosing the word to be inscribed inside. We both suggested it be in Arabic, and it looks beautiful. I love the word he contemplated and chose for me to carry.

The final piece was even more beautiful than I had imagined. I think every person who has gone through this process with Nadine has said the same. A wise woman once told me — ‘we don’t need a lot, we just need enough’. When you design with intention, reflecting your own taste, and have an expert bring it to life with quality and care, you feel more at peace walking through this world without needing to accumulate more. One measured piece, done very well, will last a lifetime.

Thank you, Nadine!