At 28 years old, Ari has already navigated more than many do in a lifetime.

In 2015, Ari sustained an acquired brain injury following the removal of a brain tumour. Since then, she has worked incredibly hard to rebuild her independence and confidence. Like many people living with brain injury, Ari experiences challenges with attention, staying on task, memory recall and emotional regulation. These invisible impacts can make daily life and work demanding — but they have never defined her.

Ari has been part of the ARC community since 2018, consistently attending regular Exercise Physiology sessions with Steph, Occupational Therapy reviews with Penny and Physiotherapy reviews with Hiruni. Her commitment to quarterly reviews and ongoing therapy has been instrumental in helping her build strategies, physical capacity and resilience over time.

Outside the clinic, Ari leads a purposeful and active life. She works in a disability-supported workplace in a pick-packing role and generously volunteers with OzHarvest, helping to provide food to people in need. She also loves the outdoors and recreational activities — a passion that recently led her to take on a new challenge.

🏄‍♀️ The Paddleboarding Block

During her recent paddleboarding block at ARC, Ari set three clear goals:

• Improve her balance to transition from kneeling to standing

• Stand and paddle consistently for 100 metres

• Increase her confidence in water-based activities

These goals weren’t just about sport. They were about trust — in her body, in her balance, and in her ability to try something challenging.

Through structured, progressive sessions focusing on dynamic balance, core control, graded exposure and repetition, Ari built both physical capacity and self-belief. What began with cautious kneeling evolved into confident transitions to standing. Short distances grew into consistent 100-metre paddle efforts.

But perhaps the biggest shift was internal.

Her confidence in water sports increased significantly. She demonstrated improved emotional regulation in a novel environment, maintained focus on task demands, and embraced the unpredictability of being on the water — all major wins for someone managing the cognitive impacts of brain injury.

Rehabilitation isn’t only about clinic-based strength or mobility scores. It’s about real-world participation.

It’s about:

• Feeling confident to try new experiences

• Managing cognitive challenges in dynamic environments

• Translating therapy gains into meaningful recreation

• Living a full and connected life

Ari continues to show that progress after brain injury is not linear — but with consistency, support and courage, it is absolutely possible.

We are incredibly proud of her commitment, her growth and her willingness to step outside her comfort zone.

Ari, you are a true Gold Star ⭐