First time author from Southsea turned her pain into power and wants to help others do the same

Joanne Mcgee proudly holds her chapter of a collaborative book in a quiet corner of the quirky coffee shop, Broadway Coffee Roasters, in Southsea sat atop the sofa where she spent the days writing it.

‘I’ve never written a book, I’ve got no GCSEs, no qualifications and I just couldn’t get pen to paper,’ says 49-year-old Joanne.

Joanne, who lives just a few minutes walk away in Southsea and often comes to the venue to work, says a friend told her that you are often more creative in public places, something that she has found to be true.

‘I sit here, put my headphones on, people come and go with their coffees and I just write away,’ she adds.

The book, a collaboration hosted by Louisa Herridge, is the second volume of stories which has brought together women from across the globe with powerful stories to share.

From the Ashes, She is Ignited is a ‘powerful collection of inspiring and empowering stories from women who have risen from the ashes of trauma, adversity and pain to live a life ignited with positivity, passion and confidence,’ the cover reads.

Each chapter will take you on a personal journey with a collaborative message of ‘hope, gratitude and the joy’ that can be found in even the ‘darkest of journeys’.

Chapter one, Turn Your Pain Into Power, is Joanne’s story.

Joanne herself overcame adversity from trauma and her story touches on very sensitive themes as it sees her do so. From childhood abuse, mental health, rape and narcissistic abuse, to turning 40 and realising she had to change something.

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Through discovering self development, starting a business and now building the ‘life of [her] dreams’ she was able to rise out of the pain of her former life.

‘My past does not define my future, I turned my pain into power and now live a life of purpose, passion and fulfilment,’ says Joanne.

Joanne, who is partially sighted, grew up on a council estate in Buckland with her parents and three sisters. From an early age she was told by the people in her life that she would ‘never do anything’ due to her disability.

‘I was told by doctors I would never make my own money,’ she says.

‘I was told I would never do anything, and it became my reality. I didn’t know any different. I had never had a job before the age of 40.’

Joanne also suffered narcissistic abuse, dealt with depression and anxiety and, at one stage, almost ended her life.

But everything changed when Joanne decided to start taking control of her physical health, and began regularly attending her local gym.

‘When I turned 40, I’d had enough, I looked in the mirror and I thought I need to do something different,’ she adds.

‘The day I walked in the gym I met my personal trainer, Jack Williams, he was only 21 at the time,’ she says.

Jack introduced Joanne to another way of thinking, helping her to take control and soon they were training everyday together, with Joanne crediting him in the book for much of her own self development.

‘He wanted me to run on the treadmill, I’ve got tunnel vision so I can only see what I’m looking at, so I said ‘I can’t run, I can’t see it’

‘He said, ‘I’m not asking you to see it, I’m asking you to run.’ He was the only one who ever said ‘you can.’

Jack and Joanne now have a shared business venture, working in collaboration with Herbalife Nutrition – a global nutrition company – with the goal to improve people’s nutrition and help them earn an income.

‘I started training with him and went from strength to strength, and that was when my environment changed, I met new people,’ adds Joanne.

‘I didn’t really have any friends before, they were all family because I didn't really do anything with my life, I started making new friends at the gym.’

With new connections came more confidence and, for Joanne, the other main turning point came just three years ago when she made the incredibly tough decision to cut off ‘toxic’ family members who were negatively affecting her mental health, which she describes in the book.

‘Environment is key, if you’re surrounded by people who want to keep you low, you’ll stay there,’ says Joanne.

‘It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it was survival mode. It was either that or I was going to end up six foot under, I had to break free.

‘I did have some people to support me, but it was still a long and lonely walk.’

Now Joanne trains at the gym seven days a week, runs her business from home and surrounds herself with positive people. With the release of the book, she is hoping to help others make the transition from toxic to enlightened.

‘If I train, I can do anything I want, I can face whatever life chucks at me. I lift weights, I've done powerlifting, it just makes me feel empowered and strong.

‘It’s mental care, it releases endorphins. Nutrition is also important, your mind, your body and your soul it’s all linked, eat healthy and exercise and you’re onto a winner,’ she says.

Another sensitive subject Joanne touches on in the book is sexual assault, something that she has tragically had an all too personal experience with.

However, after receiving help from PARCS (Portsmouth Abuse and Rape Counselling Service), Joanne volunteered her own time to the helpline, offering emotional and listening support to victims like her for two years.

‘That changed my perspective on things, lots of those women will never get over what they’ve been through, one had been ringing three times a week for 30 years,’ says Joanne.

‘I started feeling grateful, not for being attacked, but it allowed me to help others and eventually I started to heal.

‘That changed me as a person,’ she adds.

After the release of the book this month, on January 25, Joanne is gearing up for the official launch night of her contribution to the collaborative project on February 11, at Broadway Coffee Roasters from 7pm-10pm.

‘It’s been very nerve-racking, I've had so many moments where I thought ‘I can’t do this,’ even with writing it,’ she says.

‘Like a baby walking, I've had to learn everything from scratch, I feel like I’m only just getting started!’

Now Joanne finally has a voice, she’s using it, with plans to undergo a life coach course later in the year.

‘My goal is to help at least 10,000 women to be more, do more, and have more in life,’ she says. ‘My inbox is always open.’