How I Survived

Imagine one day waking up next to a stranger.

A special bonus series for How I Survived listeners!

We’re bringing you some of the best stories of survival from Marie Claire's podcast, You’re Gonna Want To Hear This. https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/youre-gonna-want-to-hear-this/id1849312864

From extraordinary stories of survival and resilience to raw, intimate conversations about style, substance and the moments that change us, these are the stories you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished listening.

If you love How I Survived, you’re gonna to want to hear this.

And if you like what you hear, head over to You’re Gonna Want To Hear This wherever you listen to or watch your podcasts. Find, follow, subscribe or hit the + on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube, and you’ll get a brand-new episode in your feed every Thursday morning.

In this episode of You’re Gonna Want To Hear This, marie claire editor Georgie McCourt sits down with writer and author Belle Burden for a conversation about love, loss - and what happens when your life changes overnight.

During the early days of Covid lockdown, Belle believed she was safe inside a happy, 20-year marriage. Then, within 24 hours, everything changed. A phone call from a stranger revealed her husband was having an affair. By the next morning, he had packed a bag, told her he wanted a divorce, and left. There was no warning. Just what he later described as “a switch” that had flipped.

In this raw and deeply honest conversation, Belle takes us inside that moment - and the aftermath that followed. From the shock of abandonment and the physical reality of heartbreak, to the patterns many women are now recognising in their own lives, this episode explores what it means to lose not just a partner, but the life you thought you were living.

Belle also speaks candidly about the financial lessons she learned, the expectations placed on women to stay quiet, and how writing her memoir Strangers became a way of reclaiming her voice.This is a conversation about devastation, but also about rebuilding. About identity. About resilience. And about the possibility that, even in the wake of something unimaginable, a new life can take shape.

In this episode, we cover:

• The moment Belle’s marriage ended - and what happened the night before
• The psychology of sudden abandonment and “runaway husbands”
• The physical and emotional impact of shock and heartbreak
• Why so many women are recognising themselves in this story
• The financial blind spots that can leave women vulnerable in long marriages
• Co-parenting, emotional detachment, and navigating life after divorce
• Rebuilding identity - and finding yourself again after everything changes

About Belle: Belle Burden is a writer and former lawyer. Her Modern Love essay for The New York Times was one of the most widely read columns of the year. Her memoir, Strangers, expands on that story - exploring marriage, betrayal, and the process of rebuilding a life from the ground up.

A note to listeners:This episode discusses themes of infidelity, divorce, and emotional distress. Please listen with care.

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Maggie Walters has lived a life most people could barely comprehend. Diagnosed in her twenties with Dissociative Identity Disorder, formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder, Maggie came to understand that her mind had created different parts, or “alters”, to help her survive severe childhood trauma.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussion about abuse and trauma.

A special bonus series for How I Survived listeners!

We’re bringing you some of the best stories of survival from Marie Claire's podcast, You’re Gonna Want To Hear This. https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/youre-gonna-want-to-hear-this/id1849312864

From extraordinary stories of survival and resilience to raw, intimate conversations about style, substance and the moments that change us, these are the stories you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished listening.

If you love How I Survived, you’re gonna to want to hear this.

And if you like what you hear, head over to You’re Gonna Want To Hear This wherever you listen to or watch your podcasts. Find, follow, subscribe or hit the + on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube, and you’ll get a brand-new episode in your feed every Thursday morning.

In her first book Split, Maggie shared the story of that trauma and introduced readers to “the girls”, the parts of her who protected her through experiences no child should ever have to endure.

Now, in her new book Fractured Motherhood, Maggie explores what came next: becoming a mother, adopting three children from the Philippines, and learning how to parent with love, courage and honesty while navigating DID, trauma and fear.

In this deeply powerful conversation, Maggie joins You’re Gonna Want To Hear This and tells Marie Claire Editor Georgie McCourt about what DID really is, why it is so misunderstood, how trauma shaped her childhood, and how motherhood helped her break a cycle of intergenerational harm.

This is not a story about being defined by trauma. It is a story about survival, hope, identity, parenting, and the extraordinary ways people find a path forward.

This episode covers:

* Maggie Walters’ diagnosis with Dissociative Identity Disorder / Multiple Personality Disorder

* What DID really feels like from the inside

* How childhood trauma can lead to dissociation

* Why Maggie calls her alters “the girls”

* Writing Split and Fractured Motherhood

* Adopting her three children from the Philippines

* The fear of passing trauma on to your children

* Mothering while navigating mental health challenges

* Breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma

* Why Maggie believes change and hope are always possible

If this conversation raises issues for you, support is available.

In Australia, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 for 24/7 crisis support, 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 for domestic, family and sexual violence support, or Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380 for support around complex trauma and childhood trauma.

Maggie Walters’ new book Fractured Motherhood is out now.

🎧 Listen now to You’re Gonna Want To Hear This on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

👀 Watch You’re Gonna Want to Hear This on YouTube 📺 https://www.youtube.com/@marieclaireau

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when the person you loved, the person you trusted with your future, wasn’t who they said they were? And ends up stealing your life savings.

A special bonus series for How I Survived listeners!

We’re bringing you some of the best stories of survival from Marie Claire's podcast, You’re Gonna Want To Hear This. https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/youre-gonna-want-to-hear-this/id1849312864

From extraordinary stories of survival and resilience to raw, intimate conversations about style, substance and the moments that change us, these are the stories you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished listening.

If you love How I Survived, you’re gonna to want to hear this.

And if you like what you hear, head over to You’re Gonna Want To Hear This wherever you listen to or watch your podcasts. Find, follow, subscribe or hit the + on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube, and you’ll get a brand-new episode in your feed every Thursday morning.

Marie Claire Australia Editor Georgie McCourt sits down with author, advocate and marketing executive Tracy Hall, whose extraordinary story became known through the hit investigative podcast Who the Hell Is Hamish? Tracy was Hamish McLaren’s final known victim, after an 18-month relationship, she discovered that the man she knew as Max Tavita was in fact one of Australia’s most notorious con men. He had stolen $317,000 of her life savings.

Now, years after her story first captivated listeners, Tracy joins Georgie to tell the story in her own words. From falling in love with a man who appeared to share her values and ambitions, to discovering that almost everything she knew about him was a lie.

Tracy takes us inside the sophisticated manipulation that kept her from seeing what was happening, including the slow-building relationship, the carefully manufactured similarities, future promises and conversations about money that ultimately led to her investing her savings. She explains why romance scams aren’t about intelligence or naivety, why anyone can be vulnerable to manipulation, and why the shame should belong with the perpetrator, not the victim.

She also talks about The Last Victim, her memoir about the experience, and the work she is now doing to advocate for safer online dating, financial empowerment and a different way of talking about victims of scams. She explains why she believes dating apps need stronger identity verification, what happened when she discovered Hamish had appeared on a dating app again, and why she wants better safeguards in place before her own daughter enters the world of online dating.

And in one of the most timely parts of the conversation, Tracy explores the next generation of deception, AI scams, deepfakes and voice cloning and why “trust literacy” may become as important as financial and digital literacy.

This episode covers:

• Tracy Hall’s role as Hamish McLaren’s last known victim
• Her story as featured in Who the Hell Is Hamish?
• Meeting Hamish, who she knew as Max Tavita, on a dating app
• How an 18-month relationship was carefully constructed
• The manipulation tactics and warning signs she missed
• How $317,000 of her savings was stolen
• Why intelligent, successful people can become victims of romance scams
• The psychological impact of intimate fraud and betrayal
• Rebuilding her confidence, identity and ability to trust
• Becoming financially empowered after the scam
• Writing The Last Victim
• Victim blaming and the language we use around scams
• Why dating apps need stronger safety measures
• Hamish McLaren appearing on a dating app after his release
• Dating again and learning to trust herself
• “Trust literacy” and navigating deception in the digital age. AI scams, deepfakes and voice cloning
• Why shame belongs with the perpetrator, not the victim

Stay up to date with Marie Claire Australia on Instagram @marieclaireau

🎧 Listen to You're Gonna Want to Hear This and follow us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

👀 Watch and subscribe to You're Gonna Want to Hear This on YouTube 📺 for full episodes and clips. https://www.youtube.com/marieclaire

Credits:

Host Georgie McCourt

Edited by Helen Smith

Head of Vodcasting Rachel Fountain

With thanks to our amazing team at Marie Claire

You're Gonna Want to Hear This is a production of Marie Claire and Are Media.

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you keep going after losing your child? Dr Lucy Hone lost her twelve-year-old daughter, Abi, in a tragic road accident. What followed was an extraordinary journey through grief, resilience and learning how to live again.

A special bonus series for How I Survived listeners!

We’re bringing you some of the best stories of survival from Marie Claire's podcast, You’re Gonna Want To Hear This. https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/youre-gonna-want-to-hear-this/id1849312864

From extraordinary stories of survival and resilience to raw, intimate conversations about style, substance and the moments that change us, these are the stories you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished listening.

If you love How I Survived, you’re gonna to want to hear this.

And if you like what you hear, head over to You’re Gonna Want To Hear This wherever you listen to or watch your podcasts. Find, follow, subscribe or hit the + on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube, and you’ll get a brand-new episode in your feed every Thursday morning.

Now before 2014, today’s guest, Dr Lucy Hone, was a resilience psychologist studying how people cope with stress, uncertainty and change. She was immersed in the science of flourishing, working with schools, organisations and emergency response teams – and basically, helping others navigate unwanted disruption.

And then, on a bright morning in May 2014, her twelve-year-old daughter Abi was killed in a road accident. As a mother of an almost 12 year old daughter (and a 13 year old daughter), this feels excruciatingly heartbreaking to me. How do you actually get over something so unimaginably tragic? I honestly can’t imagine I ever could.

In an instant, everything Lucy understood about resilience stopped being theoretical. She needed to find a way to live with what she describes as “the difference between where your life is, and where you thought it would be.”

That experience reshaped her life - and her work.

Today, Lucy is an internationally recognised resilience expert, bestselling author and the voice behind one of the most watched TED Talks of recent years, Three Secrets of Resilient People. Her new book 'How Will I Ever Get Through This?' has just been published.

Lucy's message remains grounded and human: tough times are affected times are part of life - and with the right tools, we can all find our way through. Yes, we really can.

In this episode, we talk about the myths of grief - including why the five stages don’t tell the whole story. We unpack why grief can be so physically exhausting. We explore intrusive rumination, post-traumatic growth, and bravery that looks like simply getting up and showing up again the next day.

This is a conversation about loss. But it’s also a conversation about love, meaning and choosing life, even when it feels unbearable.

We talk about:

• Why most people are more resilient than they think
• The concept of oscillation - how you can live and grieve at the same time
• The difference between toxic positivity and pragmatic hope
• Post-traumatic growth (and why 60% of people experience it)
• The quiet bravery of getting up again tomorrow

Thank you for listening ❤️

But before you leave...

🗣️ Get in touch What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly marie claire community and share your thoughts (link DM us on Instagram)

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She was told she wouldn’t survive. Years later, she’s a Paralympic gold medallist. This is the extraordinary story of Alexa Leary.

A special bonus series for How I Survived listeners!

We’re bringing you some of the best stories of survival from Marie Claire's podcast, You’re Gonna Want To Hear This. https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/youre-gonna-want-to-hear-this/id1849312864

From extraordinary stories of survival and resilience to raw, intimate conversations about style, substance and the moments that change us, these are the stories you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished listening.

If you love How I Survived, you’re gonna to want to hear this.

And if you like what you hear, head over to You’re Gonna Want To Hear This wherever you listen to or watch your podcasts. Find, follow, subscribe or hit the + on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube, and you’ll get a brand-new episode in your feed every Thursday morning.

Paralympic gold medallist Alexa Leary joins us for one of the most raw and powerful conversations we’ve ever had. At just 19, Alexa was involved in a catastrophic cycling accident that left her with a severe traumatic brain injury. Doctors told her family she wouldn’t survive. She lost her memory, had to relearn how to walk and talk, and now describes herself as living a “second life.”In this episode, Alexa opens up about the reality of brain injury - the emotional highs and lows, the loss of friendships, the struggle to regulate her behaviour, and the daily challenges most people never see.She shares what it felt like to be told she might die, what recovery really looked like behind hospital doors, and how she went from ICU to standing on the Paralympic podium.We also talk about her new book Sink or Swim, why she’s chosen to tell her story so honestly, and the message she wants every woman to hear.This is a story about resilience, identity, and what it truly means to start again.

In this episode, we cover:

• The accident Alexa can’t remember - and the moment everything changed
• Being told she wouldn’t survive
• What it’s really like living with a traumatic brain injury
• Losing friendships and rebuilding relationships
• Emotional regulation, anger and recovery
• From hospital bed to Paralympic gold
• Why she says she’s living a “second life”
• The truth behind her memoir Sink or Swim
• Learning to love and accept herself again

Follow & Listen Don’t forget to follow, rate and review the podcast, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

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At 17, Danielle Bensky was a ballerina in New York with dreams of making it in dance. She thought she had found a way to earn some extra money. Instead, she was drawn into Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking network and spent years carrying the silence, trauma and shame that followed. Now, Danielle is telling her story: of grooming, manipulation, survival and what it took to finally reclaim her voice.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains themes of abuse, trauma and coercive control. If you or someone you know needs immediate assistance, call 000. For confidential 24/7 crisis support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au. Support is also available through Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or at beyondblue.org.au.

A special bonus series for How I Survived listeners!

We’re bringing you some of the best stories of survival from Marie Claire's podcast, You’re Gonna Want To Hear This. https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/youre-gonna-want-to-hear-this/id1849312864

From extraordinary stories of survival and resilience to raw, intimate conversations about style, substance and the moments that change us, these are the stories you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished listening.

If you love How I Survived, you’re gonna to want to hear this.

And if you like what you hear, head over to You’re Gonna Want To Hear This wherever you listen to or watch your podcasts. Find, follow, subscribe or hit the + on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube, and you’ll get a brand-new episode in your feed every Thursday morning.

The episode:

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of You’re Gonna Want To Hear This, marie
claire editor Georgie McCourt speaks with Danielle Bensky - a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s
trafficking network - about grooming, silence, survival and the long road to reclaiming your
voice.

Before the headlines and court cases, Bensky was a 17-year-old ballerina in New York with
dreams of a career in dance. In this conversation, she reflects on how the intense culture of
ballet - with its pressure for perfection, body scrutiny and constant need for approval - created
vulnerabilities that Epstein later exploited.

Bensky shares how she was first introduced to Epstein while searching for ways to earn
money as a teenager, and how what began with conversation and flattery slowly became
manipulation, coercion and abuse. She also speaks candidly about the moment her mother’s
brain tumour diagnosis deepened Epstein’s control over her life.

But this episode is not only about what happened inside Epstein’s world. It’s also about what
came after: the years of silence, the trauma and dissociation that followed, and the healing
power of creativity, community and finally speaking the truth.

Today, Bensky is an advocate for survivors and accountability. In this moving conversation,
she explains why telling the story matters - not only for justice, but for the countless
survivors who still feel too ashamed or frightened to speak.

Her message is simple but powerful: you are not alone.

In this episode we discuss:

• Danielle Bensky’s life as a teenage ballerina in New York
• How grooming and manipulation often begin with trust and promises
• The culture of vulnerability within the dance world
• The moment Epstein used her mother’s illness as leverage
• Why so many people around Epstein remained silent
• Trauma, dissociation and the long path to healing
• How art and movement helped Bensky reconnect with her body
• The power of survivor communities Why speaking out can help break cycles of shame and silence

A note to listeners:
This episode contains discussion of sexual abuse, trafficking and trauma. Listener discretion
is advised.

Resources:
If this conversation raises difficult feelings for you, support is available.

• 1800RESPECT - 1800 737 732
• Lifeline - 13 11 14

Follow Danielle Bensky on Instagram here @dbinthesky

See more:

Jeffrey Epstein Survivors

Margot Robbie Things Changing In Hollywood

👀Watch and listen to the full episode of You’re Gonna Want To Hear This here and wherever you get your podcasts.

Visit Marie Claire for style and substance

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if leaving your faith meant losing everyone you'd ever loved?

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains themes of childhood abuse, physical punishment, sexual trauma and coercive control. If you or someone you know needs immediate assistance, call 000. For confidential 24/7 crisis support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au. Support is also available through Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or at beyondblue.org.au.

A special bonus series for How I Survived listeners!

We’re bringing you some of the best stories of survival from Marie Claire's podcast, You’re Gonna Want To Hear This.

From extraordinary stories of survival and resilience to raw, intimate conversations about style, substance and the moments that change us, these are the stories you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished listening.

If you love How I Survived, you’re gonna to want to hear this.

And if you like what you hear, head over to You’re Gonna Want To Hear This wherever you listen to or watch your podcasts. Find, follow, subscribe or hit the + on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube, and you’ll get a brand-new episode in your feed every Thursday morning.

What if leaving your faith meant losing everyone you'd ever loved?

This week on You're Gonna Want To Hear This, Marie Claire Australia Editor Georgie McCourt speaks with author Bek Condello about her extraordinary journey out of one of Australia's most controlling Pentecostal churches.

Raised inside the Geelong Revival Centre, Bek grew up believing the outside world was dangerous. Every aspect of life, from education and friendships to marriage and work was dictated by church leaders. Curiosity was discouraged, obedience was demanded, and fear shaped almost every decision.

In this deeply personal conversation, Bek reflects on the childhood she now recognises as abusive, the lasting impact of religious trauma and the heartbreaking reality that leaving meant losing her family, community and identity.

She also opens up about purity culture, consent, body shame, marrying to escape one form of control only to enter another, and the years it took to trust herself and build a life on her own terms.

Today, Bek has transformed unimaginable loss into purpose. As the state of Victoria investigates high-control religious groups, she explains why sharing her story has become about much more than personal healing... it's about helping others recognise coercion, reclaim their autonomy and know they're not alone.

This episode covers:

• Growing up inside the Geelong Revival Centre

• How high-control religions shape identity

• Religious trauma and childhood abuse

• The psychological impact of fear-based faith

• Purity culture, consent and bodily autonomy

• Escaping a controlling church

• Rebuilding life after leaving a cult

• Learning to trust yourself again

• Why leaving is a process, not a single moment
• Bek's advocacy for survivors of coercive religious groups

Can You Handle a Girl Like Me? by Bek Condello is available from mid-July.

Stay up to date with Marie Claire Australia on Instagram

🎧 Listen to You're Gonna Want to Hear This and follow us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

👀 Watch and subscribe to You're Gonna Want to Hear This on YouTube 📺 for full episodes and clips.

Credits:

Host Georgie McCourt

Edited by Leah Porges

Head of Vodcasting Rachel Fountain

With thanks to our amazing team at Marie Claire

Learn More:

You're Gonna Want to Hear This is a production of Marie Claire and Are Media.

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could you survive a volcanic eruption? It's a question Stephanie Browitt never thought she'd have to answer. And yet in 2019, a volcanic eruption on New Zealand’s White Island changed Stephanie's life forever. At just 23, she suffered burns to 70 per cent of her body and lost her younger sister, Krystal, and her father, Paul, in the tragedy. Seven years later, she's written a book about it. Out Of The Ashes has just been published, co-written with her mother Marie.

A special bonus series for How I Survived listeners!

We’re bringing you some of the best stories of survival from Marie Claire's podcast, You’re Gonna Want To Hear This.

From extraordinary stories of survival and resilience to raw, intimate conversations about style, substance and the moments that change us, these are the stories you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished listening.

If you love How I Survived, you’re gonna to want to hear this.

And if you like what you hear, head over to You’re Gonna Want To Hear This wherever you listen to or watch your podcasts. Find, follow, subscribe or hit the + on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube, and you’ll get a brand-new episode in your feed every Thursday morning.

In this episode of marie claire's podcast You’re Gonna Want To Hear This, Stephanie shares, in extraordinary detail, what it felt like to be caught in the eruption - the moment she heard the bang, the fight to stay conscious, and the thought that kept her alive - getting back to her mum.What you'll hear is a deeply moving conversation about survival, grief, and recovery. Stephanie speaks openly about the physical and emotional toll of her injuries, the long road back, and the moment she had to relearn how to see love again. Today, she is an advocate for body positivity and resilience, using her story to challenge perceptions of beauty, strength, and what it means to rebuild a life after unimaginable loss. This episode is confronting, powerful, and ultimately, a story about love.In this episode, we discuss:

• The moment the White Island volcano erupted
• The fight to stay conscious and survive
• The loss of Stephanie’s father and sister
• The role of her mother in her survival and recovery
• The realities of burn recovery and rehabilitation
• Body image, identity, and learning to live with scars
• Grief, resilience, and rebuilding a life

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts
Follow You’re Gonna Want To Hear This for new episodes every week

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it mean to put a name and a story to every woman and child lost to violence? For more than a decade, journalist and activist Sherele Moody has been documenting the lives behind the statistics, creating a record of Australia’s femicides through Australian Femicide Watch and the Red Heart Movement. But this isn’t just advocacy for Sherele, it’s very personal.

A special bonus series for How I Survived listeners!

We’re bringing you some of the best stories of survival from Marie Claire's podcast, You’re Gonna Want To Hear This.

From extraordinary stories of survival and resilience to raw, intimate conversations about style, substance and the moments that change us, these are the stories you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished listening.

If you love How I Survived, you’re gonna to want to hear this.

And if you like what you hear, head over to You’re Gonna Want To Hear This wherever you listen to or watch your podcasts. Find, follow, subscribe or hit the + on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube, and you’ll get a brand-new episode in your feed every Thursday morning.

This week on You're Gonna Want To Hear This, Marie Claire Australia Editor Georgie McCourt is joined by Sherele Moody to share the story that changed her life - the moment she discovered her stepfather was responsible for the murder of two young girls. A revelation that would go on to shape her life’s work.

From a childhood marked by abuse and instability, to building one of the most significant databases of violence against women in Australia, Sherele speaks with unflinching honesty about trauma, survival, and the cost of speaking out.

She also unpacks the systemic failures that continue to put women at risk - and why the question isn’t why women stay, but why it remains so difficult to leave.

This episode covers:

• The personal story behind Sherele’s activism
• The reality of femicide in Australia - and what the numbers miss
• Why domestic violence systems are failing women
• The emotional toll of documenting over 3,000 deaths
• How community, connection and action can drive change

If this conversation raises issues for you, support is available.

In Australia, contact 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or Lifeline (13 11 14).

To find out more about Sherele's work, go to https://australianfemicidewatch.org/

🎧 Listen now to You’re Gonna Want To Hear This 🎧

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What if the person who was meant to protect you was the one you needed protection from? This is a story of survival, resilience and reclaiming your voice after years of being silenced. Jess also speaks publicly for the first time about living with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), sharing what it's really like to live with a condition that is so often misunderstood.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains themes of childhood abuse and coercive control. If you or someone you know needs immediate assistance, call 000. For confidential 24/7 crisis support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au. Support is also available through Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or at beyondblue.org.au.

A special bonus series for How I Survived listeners!

We’re bringing you some of the best stories of survival from Marie Claire's podcast, You’re Gonna Want To Hear This.

From extraordinary stories of survival and resilience to raw, intimate conversations about style, substance and the moments that change us, these are the stories you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished listening.

If you love How I Survived, you’re gonna to want to hear this.

And if you like what you hear, head over to You’re Gonna Want To Hear This wherever you listen to or watch your podcasts. Find, follow, subscribe or hit the + on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube, and you’ll get a brand-new episode in your feed every Thursday morning.

This week on You're Gonna Want To Hear This, Marie Claire Australia Editor Georgie McCourt speaks with world champion runner Jess Denham, who is telling her story publicly after years of being unable to do so.

Raised in isolation and controlled by her parents, Jess appeared to be a sporting prodigy. But behind closed doors, she was enduring unimaginable abuse. Today, both of her parents are in prison for those crimes.

In this deeply personal conversation, Jess also shares why she's fighting for stronger protections for survivors and helping change the way Australia responds to sexual violence.

This episode covers:

• Growing up as a homeschooled child prodigy under total parental control
• Living a hidden double life as a champion runner while surviving abuse
• Isolation as a tool of abuse and why escape felt impossible
• Finding the courage to report abuse to police
• Living with dissociative identity disorder (DID) and dismantling the stigma around it
• How trauma shapes the brain and body in survival mode
• Rebuilding trust, identity and community after a lifetime of betrayal
• Healing through art and creative expression
• The fight against victim-blaming and sensationalized media reporting
• Advocating for stronger protection of survivors' counseling records
• A message of hope for survivors: "you're not your worst chapter"

Stay up to date with Marie Claire Australia on Instagram

🎧 Listen to You're Gonna Want to Hear This and follow us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

👀 Watch and subscribe to You're Gonna Want to Hear This on YouTube 📺 for full episodes and clips.

Credits:

Host Georgie McCourt

Edited by Helen Smith

Head of Vodcasting Rachel Fountain

With thanks to our amazing team at Marie Claire

You're Gonna Want to Hear This is a production of Marie Claire and Are Media.

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When everyone else swam for shore, Charlie Verco paddled the other way: straight towards a great white shark. On a clear, busy Saturday morning at Coogee Beach in June 2026, the 25-year-old surf lifesaver and elite board paddler was training when a woman, Leah Stewart, was attacked just ahead of him. What he did next made headlines around the world.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains detailed descriptions of a shark attack and serious injury that some listeners may find distressing.

A special bonus series for How I Survived listeners!

We’re bringing you some of the best stories of survival from Marie Claire's podcast, You’re Gonna Want To Hear This.

From extraordinary stories of survival and resilience to raw, intimate conversations about style, substance and the moments that change us, these are the stories you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished listening.

If you love How I Survived, you’re gonna to want to hear this.

And if you like what you hear, head over to You’re Gonna Want To Hear This wherever you listen to or watch your podcasts. Find, follow, subscribe or hit the + on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube, and you’ll get a brand-new episode in your feed every Thursday morning.

More on Charlie Verco's incredible story of courage:

Charlie grew up a North Bondi nipper and is now one of the country’s best ocean paddlers, the youngest ever winner of the Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard World Championships. In this conversation he walks Marie Claire Editor Georgie McCourt through the rescue minute by minute: reading the shark’s behaviour, the moment Leah was dragged under, towing her to shore one-armed when she lost consciousness, and the lifeguards and paramedics whose training saved her life on the sand.

It is a story about courage, but Charlie is uneasy with the word hero. He talks honestly about fear, adrenaline and imposter syndrome, how surf lifesaving and sport trained him to think under extreme stress, what a shark expert later told him, and why he is now urging two things: better shark safety on Australian beaches, and for people to donate blood.

In this conversation, Charlie Verco joins Marie Claire Editor Georgie McCourt to talk about the Coogee Beach shark attack, what it takes to act in a crisis, fear of the ocean, surf life saving, and why blood donation saves lives.

This episode covers:

• The Coogee Beach great white shark attack: what Charlie Verco saw on Saturday 13 June 2026
• Why he paddled towards the shark instead of swimming to safety
• What it is like to come face to face with a great white shark
• How surf lifesaving training and Ironman racing prepared him to act under extreme stress
• Towing an unconscious woman to shore one-armed on a paddleboard
• What a shark expert later told him about great white behaviour
• The beach response: tourniquets, lifeguards and the teamwork that saved a life
• Managing fear, adrenaline and the shakes after a traumatic rescue
• Going back into the ocean: how Charlie feels about the water now
• Shark safety in Australia: drones, detection and what he thinks needs to change
• On being called a hero, and the imposter syndrome that comes with it
• Why he is urging Australians to donate blood, especially O negative

If this conversation raises issues for you, support is available.

In Australia, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 for 24/7 crisis support. To support the cause Charlie raises in this episode, you can donate blood through Australian Red Cross Lifeblood (O negative is especially needed in emergencies).

Donate blood (Australian Red Cross Lifeblood): https://www.lifeblood.com.au

Support Leah Stewart (family GoFundMe): https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-leah-stewart-victim-of-shark-attack-in-coogee

Follow Charlie Verco on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/char1ieverco/

🎧 Listen to You’re Gonna Want to Hear This and follow us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/youre-gonna-want-to-hear-this/id1849312864

Listen and follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Vsxq2nZIMJLnywOXfuxqZ

👀 Watch and subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@marieclaireau

Credits:

Host: Marie Claire Editor Georgie McCourt

Supervising Producer: Leah Porges

Head of Vodcasting: Rachel Fountain

Learn More: You’re Gonna Want to Hear This is a production of Marie Claire and Are Media.

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A special bonus series for How I Survived listeners!

We’re bringing you some of the best stories of survival from Marie Claire's podcast, You’re Gonna Want To Hear This.

From extraordinary stories of survival and resilience to raw, intimate conversations about style, substance and the moments that change us, these are the stories you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished listening.

If you love How I Survived, you’re gonna to want to hear this.

And if you like what you hear, head over to You’re Gonna Want To Hear This wherever you listen to or watch your podcasts. Find, follow, subscribe or hit the + on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube, and you’ll get a brand-new episode in your feed every Thursday morning.

Stay up to date with Marie Claire Australia on Instagram

🎧 Listen to You're Gonna Want to Hear This and follow us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

👀 Watch and subscribe to You're Gonna Want to Hear This on YouTube 📺 for full episodes and clips.

You're Gonna Want to Hear This is a production of Marie Claire and Are Media.

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You've been patiently waiting on new episodes of How I Survived, so please accept this little treat from us! On Marie Claire Australia's podcast, You're Gonna Want to Hear This, you'll hear extraordinary stories of style, substance and survival. If you like this incredible episode, just pop on over to wherever you like to listen to or watch your podcasts to binge the Marie Claire's incredible back catalogue. Find, follow, subscribe or hit the + on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube and you'll get a new episode in your feed every Thursday morning.

And now to Chloe & Christine's incredible story:

On an ordinary morning in a Sydney apartment building, Chloe and Christine - two neighbours who barely knew each other - were violently attacked by a stranger inside their own homes.Christine, a wellness therapist and yoga teacher, had just stepped into the shared laundry. Chloe, a photographer and mother of three, was working at her desk with her front door slightly open. Within minutes, both women were assaulted in separate random encounters by the same man - a dentist called Steven Lin from the Central Coast who has later shot dead by police. In this deeply confronting conversation, they share what happened, how they survived, and what recovery looks like just two weeks later. Their stories are raw, powerful, and ultimately grounded in resilience, instinct, and the unexpected strength that emerges in moments of crisis.

In this episode

• Two parallel attacks unfold inside the same apartment building
• The moment instinct takes over: fight, survival, and split-second decisions
• What trauma feels like in the immediate aftermath
• The emotional and physical road to recovery
• Community support, kindness, and unexpected connection
• The reality of women’s safety - even inside the home
• Where the system is falling short, and what needs to change

Support and resources If this episode raises anything for you, support is available:

• 1800RESPECT (Australia)
• Lifeline – 13 11 14
• In an emergency, call 000

Support Chloe and Christine Links to support Chloe and Christine during their recovery are below:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/violence-survivor-support-chloes-recovery

https://www.gofundme.com/f/surviving-violence-please-support-christines-recovery

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Setting off to hike to the Lost Palms Oasis, hidden deep within the Joshua Tree National Park, 35-year-old Kiwi Claire Nelson couldn't wait to immerse herself in the Californian desert's otherworldly beauty. She had everything she needed for the four-hour hike, including plenty of water. She'd even left an extra bottle in the car for when she got back. But, in the blazing hot desert, she'd need every single drop...

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was a steaming hot March afternoon in Weipa, a mining town on the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, Australia. At a safety course, 28-year-old mine worker Todd Bairstow couldn't wait to knock off, treat himself to an ice-cold beer and go fishing. But, finishing up and trudging down to the creek with his little puppy running alongside him, they weren't completely alone. See, crocodiles lurked in the murky waters...

*Thinking of you all, and hope you're staying safe and well in spite of everything Covid-19 is throwing at us. Lots of love from the HIS team. x

Interview/script/host: Beth Young

Producer: Jake Taylor

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

*Quick note: We're working from home due to Covid-19, so this podcast is coming to you from Beth's wardrobe. Enjoy, and we hope you're all staying safe and sound. Lots of love, the HIS team xxx

Heaving his massive backpack on, 22-year-old Kiwi William Pike was itching to get up the mountain. He and his mate James Christie - who he'd met at uni while studying to be a primary school teacher - were about to conquer Mt Ruapehu, on New Zealand's north island. It was James' first taste of mountaineering and William couldn't wait to introduce his friend to the sport that he was so mad about. Over a week, the lads planned to climb the mountain's three major peaks - the highest soaring nearly 3000m above sea level. They had all the right gear, the weather forecast was good, but there was another factor that was completely beyond their control - Mount Ruapehu is an active volcano. But, checking in with the local authorities before setting off, they said there was no sign that it was about to erupt...

Interview/script/host: Beth Young

Producer: Jake Taylor

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the TV murmuring softly in the background, Desiree Page, 39, relaxed back into the reclining sofa, cuddling her 13-month-old son Cory. It was late at night, and her husband Gary, a long-haul charter bus driver, was away for work. Usually, Desiree would religiously lock every door and window before she went to bed. But, with her sleeping son in her arms, she dozed off. A sound sleeper, she didn't hear a peep as a stranger stealthily broke into her home. Suddenly, someone was tugging on Desiree's leg, shaking her awake.

Interview/scriptwriter/host: Beth Young/Producer: Jake Taylor

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Pepita Nicholls asked her husband of 18 years, Robert Ridgeway, for a divorce, he hatched a dark plan to get revenge. Now, there's been an update in Pepita's incredible story...

Host: Beth Young/Interview: Riah Matthews/Producer: Denis Duggan

*Police interview published with permission from Queensland Police.

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was a sunny, crisp winter's day in Interlaken, Switzerland, and Florida couple Chris and Gail Gursky, married for 26 years and parents to a grown-up son, had the perfect plan to get their hearts pumping - hang-gliding over the gorgeous terrain. They loved zip-lining. Now, it was time to up the ante. And they were keen to get started - it was their first day on holidays.

The instructor strapped Chris in, then they ran off the edge of the cliff together. But as soon as Chris' feet left the ground, his body sank straight down and he knew something was terribly wrong. Horrifyingly, his harness hadn't been strapped on properly. He wasn't attached. And he was hurtling well above the trees. This is how Chris survived...

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A devoted single mum-of-three, Simone O'Brien, then 37, was looking for love. She'd been divorced amicably from her ex, the kids' dad Trevor, for more than four years. But, working two jobs to make ends meet, and ferrying her kids between school, basketball and playdates didn't leave much time for romance. So, she decided to try online dating.

Meeting a successful 42-year-old real estate agent named Glenn Cable, they hit it off and went out on a date. Their relationship quickly grew. A perfect gentleman, Glenn showered Simone with compliments and flowers, and he was great with her kids, especially Simone's youngest, Zac. But was he too good to be true?

Soon, red flags began to appear, and Simone decided to call off the relationship. She thought she'd never see Glenn again. But she was wrong. He was about to reveal his true colours...

Interviewer/scriptwriter/host: Beth Young

Producer: Jake Taylor

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.