GEMMA King was born in Worcester, England. After meeting her husband in the UK, the couple migrated to Australia 15 years ago.
They lived in Sydney, Melbourne, and Wodonga before settling in Yackandandah in March, 2016.
What do you do workwise?
I work for Beechworth Health Service in the Primary Health Department administration team.
I am also a qualified pilates instructor and run my own business, Yack Pilates Tribe, teaching pilates once a week at the Uniting Church Hall in Yackandandah.
Latest Stories
What brought you to your role/career?
With the administration role, my very first job was in a GP practice where my mum worked as a nurse.
I used to do all the filing after school.
I really enjoyed working in the health sector and continued to do so throughout my career.
In relation to pilates, I was born with hip dysplasia and as a baby lived in a harness for most of my first year of life.
I became a gymnast at a young age as I think my parents thought it would be good to work on my strength and to aid my development.
I grew up loving gymnastics, yoga and circus and enjoyed keeping fit, flexible and strong.
However, I have always had problems with my hips and was diagnosed with labral tears in both.
I discovered pilates, which I found helped relieve my pain and led me to want to help others do the same or just get the benefits from a low impact workout.
What do you do in the community?
My contribution to the community at this stage is to be a caring and thoughtful citizen.
I am also a singer and guitarist as part of a four-piece band, so when we can, we love to entertain the local community as well.
Unfortunately I don’t have the time to volunteer as I work two or three days a week, run my own business and I’m also very busy bringing up my two-year-old daughter.
It is something that I would love to do in the future.
Is there an important community issue that you think needs addressing?
I think the road closures within the local community need to be addressed.
Roads seem to get closed for long periods of time with no work in progress for months on end.
This is very inconvenient for commuters.
I particularly feel for the people who live on these roads and have to travel on them daily.
I wouldn’t mind if progress was being made, but barriers just seem to be put up and then forgotten.
What do you see as one of the most important current world issues?
Preservation of our very existence and the future of our loved ones.
I find it extremely depressing that there are wars raging throughout the world and that people are unable to get along.
I feel we could achieve great things if we collectively projected all our energy towards positive outcomes in life.
Unfortunately, I also believe that we will ultimately be our own downfall.
If the person you would most like to meet came to Indigo Shire (past or present), or was already here, who would that be, what would you show them, and why?
My closest childhood friend, Candice.
I would show her the wineries, Woolshed Falls, the towns of Yackandandah, Beechworth and Bright, and just generally the beautiful scenery that we have all around the area as I think this part of the world is paradise.
What book are you reading?
‘Skinside Out’ by Robyn McAlpine – a factual book all about the intricacies of our largest organ, skin.
