11 women share the moment they felt their strongest.

So many of the women I know have walked through the kind of grief, illness or struggle you wouldn’t wish on anyone. But you wouldn’t know it just by looking at them; all you’d see is their grace. 

Equally, the kind of physical strength I have witnessed in some of my favourite people is astonishing. A 60-hour labour with a posterior bub, years of undiagnosed chronic pain, marathons — women are unstoppable and yet getting them to talk about how badass they are can be surprisingly tricky.

One of our common strengths as women is our tendency to just get on with it. We don’t make a fuss; we just do the impossible thing and then get home in time to feed our babies, call our parents to check-in and get ready to do it all again tomorrow.

But it’s important to stop and see the power in ourselves and others, especially in a world where women and girls are too often treated as fragile.

My breastfeeding journey made me feel unstoppable. I had a difficult pregnancy (during a pandemic), getting diagnosed with a rare lifelong disease that involves being kept artificially alive with steroid replacements four times a day. Even with all it went through, my body somehow rallied, managing to feed my precious baby for a full year. Every feed filled me with strength and gratitude.

Image: Supplied. 

Strength comes in all shapes and sizes and there’s no shortage of it in the women who generously shared their stories of a time they felt their most powerful.

"The strongest I’ve felt in my life is actually the last seven months travelling as a digital nomad in my 50s while also being a chronic entrepreneur. For someone with a chronic health condition that needs regular healthcare and access to ongoing medication, this took some negotiating. 

"Considering I never thought I would make it to 50, this has been a time of my greatest health, most profound work capacity and I would say the absolute delight of waking somewhere new — exploring history, culture, food and connection." — Michelle

"When I sat on a plane at the age of 21 and flew to Perth from Kenya to study in Australia as an international student. I was far away from family, living on my own terms and having the independence to think, say and do what I wanted, not having to conform to family or society's expectations. It was a heady feeling!" — Rashida 

"I have to say, the best feeling of strength I’ve had is when I’ve felt physically and mentally strong at the same time. Running the half-marathon was the epitome of that feeling for me. I was immensely proud of myself for working so hard to achieve it and I’ve never felt stronger than I did that day!" — Jen

"After over 24 hours of labour, three failed epidurals and two hours of active pushing, I was told my baby was getting tired and we may need to consider a C-section. I was exhausted, but this is when a whole new level of determination kicked in. I summoned all of my strength and in a few big pushes, my baby girl was safely delivered.

"After two nights of no sleep, minimal food and water intake and a whole lot of physical and emotional exertion, I should have been on empty — but I was unstoppable. It’s the most alive I have ever felt. I felt like I had superpowers (and on reflection, I truly did)." — Casey

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"Something that jumps to mind is my first major modelling campaign being released. It was for Nancy Ganz shapewear and it was the first time shots of me were used for in-store advertising. I remember walking into Myer and seeing myself on the walls of the lingerie section and feeling unstoppable; I had the privilege of representing women who looked like me in mainstream fashion. Plus-size women are so often excluded in campaigns, so it felt like a big moment." — Suzie

"I have MS, and this year I took a work break to focus on myself. I've been pounding the treadmill and doing weights at home, which has been great both physically and emotionally. At my recent neurologist appointment, my strength tests showed I had become stronger, and he actually couldn't tell which side was weaker. He also said I was pretty close to someone without MS. Needless to say, I walked out onto Victoria Parade feeling pretty damn proud of myself." — Melissa

"I grew up adoring fairy tales and always thought of cosy caravan trips (or any weekend trips for that matter) as activities best done with a partner. Thus, all trips of this kind were put into my 'unforeseeable future' treasure box. One day I came across Peter McGraw’s podcast, Solo and my perceptions of what it was to be single drastically changed.

"My solo caravan trip was booked the next day over my morning cup of coffee at my local cafe. On my trip, I drove a clunky, manual-crunching caravan with a top speed of 50km/hour on the winding roads of the Great Ocean Road. I had never felt so strong, self-assured and comforted by my own company. I am now in the most beautiful relationship of my life (still loving those fairy tales) and that solo serenity on my caravan trip is still stored inside me, and it’s there to stay." — Courtney

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"I loved being pregnant. I felt like a superwoman. To feel my body just go into baby-growing mode and do all the right things, with very little impact on my health and daily life, was remarkable. It’s unfair that this isn’t everyone’s experience. I think part of the experience was the excitement of finally fulfilling my dream to be a mother. An unexpected outcome of pregnancy is a new respect for my body and the parts I didn’t previously love — I now do. It grew two absolute gems." — Catherine 

"I feel strong and unstoppable when I'm by myself doing really simple stuff and just realising that I'm really happy on my own. For example, one of my favourite things to do when I have a night by myself is make some really nice food and listen to music or watch a TV show while I'm cooking. In those moments, I just have this overwhelming sense of contentment and it makes me feel strong because in those moments, I realise I don't need anyone else to feel that." — Laura 

"I felt strong when I finished my work before the deadline today and headed to the dog park with my pup, Archie. Bushland nature. Simple pleasures." — Deanie

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"The first time I did a 100 kilogram deadlift was a phenomenal feeling. I'd never thought of myself as a sporty or athletic person, so knowing that I had worked hard and challenged my own self beliefs was incredible. And then being able to apply that same feeling to other areas of my life!" — Angela 

Find Ostelin, the experts in bone health, at your local Chemist Warehouse. 

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Feature Image: Supplied.