EVERYDAY PEOPLE - Kerrie BINDI Gleeson - From darkness to light

Kerrie BINDI Gleeson is a life coach, author, and counsellor. She has her own business called Focused Life Coaching and Counselling and is a bubbly, confident, warm person who always puts a lot of effort into her hair and makeup and knows how to dress.

Having known Kerrie, or Bindi, as she is better known, for close to fifteen years, I knew a little of her story, but curiosity about her life led me to have a conversation that was well overdue. Kerrie’s life has not been without its challenges, as she was born in Cabramatta, a western suburb of New South Wales, into a household marred by alcoholism and domestic violence.

Reflecting on her childhood, Bindi shares, “My parents believed in us despite their own disappointments. I have found solace in their love which has enabled me to find mercy and forgiveness.”

Despite the odds stacked against her, Bindi also became an alcoholic, although she didn’t realise it at the time. From her first drink at fourteen to her last, which resulted in an alcoholic seizure and her heart stopping twice, she had a transformative experience. A friend and mentor from Alcoholics Anonymous warned her that continuing to drink could kill her. Heading the advice, Bindi made the life-altering decision to quit drinking.

“The journey to sobriety was not easy, but once I experienced the freedom and joy of an alcohol-free life, I knew I wanted to help others achieve the same,” Bindi confides.

Hairdressing became Bindi’s ticket out of the western suburbs and her challenging childhood. As an eighteen-year-old, she had a special talent for hairdressing and won many awards. By twenty-one, she had earned a scholarship to study with Vidal Sassoon in London, leading her to explore different parts of the world. Eventually returning to Australia, Bindi travelled the country, presenting hairdressing shows.

In her forties, Bindi faced a series of devastating losses. Her father succumbed to alcoholism in a fatal car accident, while her mother battled cancer for an extended period before losing the fight. Tragically, Bindi’s brother also passed away due to a drug overdose. These profound losses took place within the span of a decade and took a toll.

At the age of forty-three, Bindi was involved in a catastrophic car accident when another vehicle crossed into her lane. Tragically, there were fatalities, but somehow Bindi pulled through. She was in an induced coma and had a brain injury to her frontal lobe along with broken hips, shattered knees, a broken left foot and many other breaks and contusions. The recovery took about seven years.

Dubbed “Bionic Bindi” by hospital staff due to the extensive metal used to put her back together, Bindi knew that the implanted metal had an expiration date. Now after twenty years, the metal has degenerated, and she requires surgeries to replace it. This time she has to have one surgery at a time. She has already had several surgeries and will need more next year.

Bindi believes that her faith in God and a higher power is what helps her get through. She also calls on her GWOGS (Gorgeous Women of God Squad), a tribe of women that are all in the faith and support each other.

Bindi says, “Live is looking good. I have met a beautiful man who shares my Christian beliefs. He is spiritual, loving and kind. At times the surgeries are too much for me to deal with myself. But he has taken it all in his stride. This is a restorative time for me.

“My first book was called The Colour Silver from Fatality Forward. I am closing that chapter, and now I am going for gold, and everything is gold in our relationship.”

By Kim Parnell

From What’s On Fraser Coast