The Reality of Online Abuse

**Wellness Warning

Some of the images below contain potentially triggering comments about abuse.

Women's bodies make miracles! They're strong and soft, hard, and resilient. They come in so many beautiful forms, and we are pressured and tutored into believing we need to change them. Billions of dollars are made from the doubts we have about our bodies.

I took a risk and posted a photo of myself in a bikini taken by Channel 10 on my Instagram page. It was meant to be a post about how bodies come in all shapes and sizes and how, despite their shape or size, they can still do powerful and amazing things. It was a vulnerable share.

I had no idea the rage this would incite in people; all anonymous and gutless of course.

Over time, I have been told to kill myself hundreds and hundreds of times. I have been told that I am unworthy of breathing, I was sent dick picks and the most violent and sexually abusive and explicit messages; I was shocked and scared. 

I was threatened. I felt unsafe, and I was not okay for a time. I wanted to hide.

The words people tried to tar me with cost me some self-worth, my dignity and a lot of confidence. I needed to find a way to be okay.

Given the work I do, the irony of what happened was not lost on me. After some pretty intensive therapy (no joke), I came up with the idea of #nohateheremate, which will soon be a not-for-profit, supporting young people to change the culture of bullying in all of its forms.