Catherine’s story: Finding connection and purpose after road trauma

This year, we are honoured that Catherine will share her personal reflections at our Time for Remembering ceremony, our annual ceremony to honour those affected by road trauma.

On 22 May 2020, Catherine was driving to work for an afternoon shift. She was an early childhood education leader, studying to become a kindergarten teacher, and dreaming of running her own arts-based kindergarten program.

In a moment, everything changed.

Travelling at 100 km/h on the highway, Catherine collided with a car whose driver had attempted to cross an intersection, believing they had time to make it across. The crash left Catherine with a bilateral C2 fracture, a broken neck, and she was later diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome following a brain injury, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The injuries changed the course of Catherine’s life. She had to give up her teaching career and navigate a future she had never imagined.

But along the way, she found something she hadn’t expected: a community of people who understood the far-reaching impact of road trauma and shared her determination to help others.

Finding a community that understands

After joining online road trauma discussion groups, Catherine discovered Amber Community through a post seeking volunteers to speak at Road Trauma Awareness Seminars (RTAS).

She joined the next online training program and was struck by the many ways road trauma affects individuals, families and communities.

“For the first time, I realised how widespread road trauma is, and began to understand the ripple effect,” Catherine reflects.

Despite their different experiences, the people she met shared a common goal: supporting others affected by road trauma and helping prevent it from happening to others.

“I really felt like I was part of something. I still do.”

Before speaking at her first seminar, Catherine observed two sessions. Sharing her story during training was an important step, made possible by the group’s warmth and understanding.

Today, she still feels nervous before speaking and sometimes becomes emotional. But she knows how important it is to share her experience.

She has seen participants arrive at seminars feeling defensive or resistant, only to leave with a different perspective. Some have even approached her afterwards to offer a hug.

For Catherine, witnessing that shift is powerful. It is a reminder that sharing lived experience can help people better understand the consequences of their choices on the road.

Finding a new sense of purpose

Catherine’s involvement with Amber Community has extended well beyond Road Trauma Awareness Seminars. She has helped raise awareness during National Volunteer Week, taken part in media interviews and completed Amber Community’s Art Therapy and Road to Hope writing courses. She also joined in the Laughing Yoga activities during the Shine a Light on Road Safety campaign.

After the crash, Catherine turned to poetry to process her experiences and come to terms with her changed life. She later published the poetry diary she created during her recovery.

Today, she sells her poetry diary alongside her picture books at markets and events, using these opportunities to raise awareness of Amber Community’s work.

Writing has become more than a creative outlet. It has helped Catherine rediscover a sense of purpose after losing the career she had worked towards.

“Recovery is not linear, but talking about my experience to others not only promotes safer driver behaviour, but it also promotes peace within me.”

Catherine also wants prospective volunteers to know that there is no single way to get involved, and no expectation to do everything at once.

“Amber Community supports you moving at your own pace; I’ve never felt pressured.”

Honouring the past while reaching for the future

Through Amber Community, Catherine has formed friendships with people whose lives have also been changed by road trauma. Their experiences may differ, but they share an understanding that can be hard to find elsewhere.

As Catherine reflects, she is inspired by people who honour the past while continuing to reach for the future.

Her story is a reminder that the effects of road trauma can last long after the crash itself. It is also a testament to the importance of connection, compassion and having the opportunity to turn lived experience into something that may help others.