Re:

M Brad Smeele broke his neck wakeboarding four years ago and is a quadriplegic. Before his accident, he was a good-looking, popular, professional athlete living a carefree life. All that changed and he is now completely dependent on caregivers. He tries not to look back too much but is struggling to accept his new reality. He is determined to walk again but instead of just relying on his physical self, he is now working on his mind.

M Ari was brought up by a single mum who died when Ari was in her teens. This hit Ari hard and she began to self-mutilate and have suicidal thoughts. Ari is living as a female after transitioning last year. Up until then, she had suppressed who she'd always known she was. There wasn't much support for LGBTQIA youth in her area and Ari felt isolated and alone. She is now excited about life in Tauranga with her new girlfriend who accepts her for who she is.

G Norma and her husband Rob had been married for over 50 years. They did everything together and liked it that way. Just as they were getting ready to enjoy their retirement, Rob died. Norma felt like she lost half of herself, and didn't know how to do anything. Norma was surrounded by other elderly in the community who helped her with her loneliness and taught her how be independent.

ML Hamish lives in rural Waikato on his family farm. He has been experiencing mental health problems for a while. Some contributions include: isolation, pressures of working based on weather and markets, needing to be a tough Kiwi bloke. He is learning to talk about his struggles with others and has found comfort in meditation.

M Hannah's sister was murdered by her boyfriend 8 years ago. The traumatic incident and subsequent trial took a huge toll on Hannah. While learning to cope with her extraordinary grief she was also trying to move on. She felt unsupported at school, that her peers didn't know how to act around her as the 'girl with the murdered sister'. She has had many down days but has pulled herself out of her dark place and is now mentoring other young people experiencing trauma.