I got my dream job thanks to that’s life!

Gliding down the steep, white slopes of the French Alps, adrenaline coursed through my body.

As a competitor in snowboarding in the British Winter Championships, I lived for the rush of landing a perfect jump.

Born in the UK, my parents were keen mountaineers and always encouraged me and my siblings to be as active as possible.

In fact, we were the only kids at our school who didn’t have a television.

Though I’m sure our classmates thought we were missing out, we didn’t mind – it meant we had more time to climb trees, ride our bikes and explore the great outdoors as a family. Mum and Dad also taught us how to ski from a young age.

Despite my passion for sports, though, I dreamt of being a writer.

As a young girl, I’d often get lost in my imagination, dreaming up storylines for books.

During my teens, I even landed my

rst job at a bookstore.

But as I got older, I worried I wasn’t good enough to become a published author.

So when I nished school, I decided to complete an IT course instead. By the time I graduated four years later, I’d discovered

my passion for snowboarding, taking me down an entirely different path altogether.

Travelling around Switzerland, Austria and even Canada to snowboard, I loved seeing just how far I could push myself.

But, by testing my limits, it meant my body was often left bruised and battered.

Suffering ripped knee ligaments, a fractured elbow and ongoing back issues, I knew I couldn’t stay in the sport forever.

Then, when I’d been riding for around ve years, two of my snowboarding friends tragically broke their necks and were told they’d never walk again.

Devastated, I realised it wasn’t worth the risk.

So, aged 26, I decided it was time to hang up my snow boots and re-train as a teacher.

On graduating the following year, I moved to Australia after falling in love with the beach and the down-to-earth people during a holiday a year before.

A stark contrast to the dreary English weather I’d grown up with, it inspired me to start writing a book about a girl who started a new life in sunny Sydney.

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t nish it.

That’s when I realised I should try and focus on short stories instead.

Once I’d nished my rst few, I asked my friends and colleagues to read them and give me feedback.

‘You’re so talented,’ they told me.

Maybe I am good enough to have my stories published after all, I thought.

So, I decided to do some research on magazines in Australia that published short ction.

That’s when I came across that’s life!

Scanning the pages, I was instantly drawn to the variety of heartfelt true stories submitted by readers of the magazine.

Eventually, I plucked up the courage to submit one of my ction stories, and soon I got an email back.

We loved your story and would be delighted to publish it, it read.

Ecstatic, I burst into tears.

I thought