⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING: This episode discusses domestic violence, emotional and financial abuse, and the impact of abuse on children. Please listen with care, and reach out for support if you need it.
📖 Grab Becoming Athena by Elena Symeonidis: https://elenasymeonidis.myshopify.com
What happens when a single mum turns painful lived experience into a fictional book designed to help other women find their voice? Elena Symeonidis shares the deeply personal story behind Becoming Athena, and why telling it was both terrifying and necessary.
Elena runs a hairdressing and makeup business while raising her nearly nine-year-old daughter, and she's now stepping into a new chapter as an author. But Becoming Athena is more than a book project. It's a vulnerable, carefully guarded way of turning real life into fiction without exposing the people who shaped it.
You'll hear how Elena uses Athena as a voice for parts of her own story, why she left some details open to interpretation, and how writing let her protect others while still telling the truth. She opens up about shame, guilt, accountability, and the emotional risk of speaking up after trauma.
We also talk about why this matters: sharing your story can help someone else feel less alone. If you've ever struggled to use your voice, carried something heavy in silence, or wondered whether honesty can create real change, this conversation will hit home.
Still Standing. Still Speaking. is built on that idea: healing starts when people stop hiding and start talking. Elena's story is a powerful reminder that even when life is messy, speaking up can change everything.
This episode is for anyone who needs encouragement to reclaim their voice, tell their story, or begin again.
📖 GET YOUR COPY OF BECOMING ATHENA Order Elena's book here: https://elenasymeonidis.myshopify.com
🆘 SUPPORT (Australia) 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 (domestic, family and sexual violence) Lifeline: 13 11 14 Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 In an emergency, call 000.
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