Fiona faces her fears in the mountains of Italy
We all have things we don’t like or are hesitant to do. Things that give us the heebeejeebees, in other words. For some, it might be flying in a plane, especially when taking off or landing, for others it could be something as simple as giving blood.
Whatever it is, we all have them and Fiona is no different. Fiona’s fear is stairs. She just doesn’t feel safe and secure climbing stairs – or at least she never used to.
That all changed in May this year in the most unlikely of places – Italy! Fiona was part of a six-person, 11-day trip to Italy, organised by Melba’s Leisure and Recreation team.
The trip, which took Fiona through some of the country’s most beautiful and historic cities, presented Fiona with a lot of stairs to negotiate. Italy, with its ancient ruins, grand palaces and winding cobblestone streets, can be a challenge for even the most seasoned traveller.
But for Fiona, it became the backdrop to an incredible personal transformation. Melba’s Leisure and Recreation Outcomes Lead, Davide Scagliarini, one of two support workers who accompanied the group, said one of the highlights of the adventure was seeing Fiona’s confidence grow.
“At the start of the trip, when we came across some stairs, Fiona would hang on to the rail for dear life and didn’t really want to go up,” he said.
“She had to be helped up very slowly, but by the end of the trip she was climbing the stairs on her own with no fear whatsoever.”
Fiona agrees that one of the unforeseen benefits of that 11 day odyssey was the personal growth she experienced. “I never liked climbing stairs,” she said. “But I don’t worry about them now. I feel much more confident. I even climbed up the mountains!”
The trip to Italy was special for another reason, too – Fiona celebrated her 51st birthday in one of the world’s most iconic cities, Venice.
“That was definitely a highlight,” she said with a smile. Davide says the benefits to travelling overseas extend beyond basic sightseeing – it takes people out of their comfort zone and embeds a deep sense of friendship.
“When you’re travelling overseas you have to be super organised,” he said. “You have to be ready to go at a certain time each morning and work together as a team sometimes, people aren’t used to that, but they adapt very easily.”
Davide said another benefit the holiday provided was a shared sense of camaraderie. Spending an extended period of time together brought the group closer.
“The other great thing is the socialising,” he said. “To see the joy on people’s faces is incredible. The excitement and happiness is contagious.”
Fiona’s connection to Melba runs deeper than taking holidays. Her brother Doug credits Melba for changing her life.
“Fiona has been with Melba for many years now,” Doug said. “Before she got involved she was very shy and wouldn’t say much. Now she’s much more confident around people.
“Fiona lives on her own and that can get a little lonely so the friends and connections she has made at Melba are very important to her.”
Fiona spends each Friday at Community Connections doing a range of activities and Doug says “it’s been a great thing for her”.
“The people at Melba have been so good to her, I couldn’t be more grateful,” he said. “In fact, I’m hoping Fiona might choose to spend two days a week at Melba next year. It’s just been the making of her. She’s a different person.”
Away from Melba, Fiona enjoys a range of hobbies. She loves to cook, listen to music – especially ABBA – watch movies and attend musicals. And she’s no stranger to hard work, either; Fiona has been working three days a week at Coles for the past 19 years.
Fiona’s journey through life – whether at work, at home, socialising at Melba or climbing mountains in Italy – reminds us that challenges, no matter how daunting, can be overcome with persistence, courage and a little bit of adventure.
Fiona’s story isn’t just about conquering her fear of stairs; it’s about embracing life with an open heart and a sense of wonder, ready for whatever comes next.
