Fiona Coorey
Fiona Coorey
We fell a little bit in love with Fiona when we met her. She has heart.
What is your Bondi story?
“I’ve always lived in the Eastern Suburbs, and Bondi has always held a special place in my heart.
After a double mastectomy and reconstruction due to breast cancer — followed by going straight into menopause — I felt completely disembodied. For the past few years, Bondi Icebergs has been my training ground to reconnect with my body — part rehab, part therapy, part reconnecting with myself.”
How do you spend the first hour of your day?
“Each morning I drive from Clovelly to Bondi for my swim. Before walking down to the Icebergs, I always pause at the same spot and take in the view. No matter the weather, it stops me in my tracks. Every day is different — from the sun rising over the horizon and making the water glisten, to the surfers waiting for the perfect wave, and on stormy days, the treacherous ocean making Bondi look like a washing machine. I also love the people-watching: the athletes training, the locals with their dogs, and even the out-of-towners blocking the walkway for photos. It fills me with gratitude — to be alive and living here, especially when there’s so much chaos in the world.
At the Bergs, I’m greeted with big smiles from staff and members. I can be quite shy, but over the years this community has made me feel deeply welcome.”
Is there one thing you’d like people to know about you?
“Community means everything to me. Growing up in Coogee in the 70s and 80s as a Lebanese-Australian, I often felt like an outsider. However, in my late teens, I was introduced to the gays on Oxford St. Back then, I didn’t know what ‘gay’ was, but this community took me in, as we were all a bunch of misfits. It’s been incredible to see how much acceptance has grown over the past 40 years. I now volunteer at Mardi Gras events during the festival as a way of giving back to the community.
Over the last decade, I’ve realised how much shame surrounds sexuality and body image and the negative impact this has on people and their relationships — especially when our bodies change through illness or ageing. Shame keeps people silent and disconnected, and disconnection erodes our sense of belonging — not just within ourselves, but within our relationships and communities. That experience led me to change careers and become a Somatic Sexologist and Menopause Coach, and to start Evolva Wellness. My work is about helping people feel at home in their bodies, comfortable in their sexuality, and more at ease in their relationships.
My motto is, ‘If everyone is having better sex, the world would be a better place.”
To find out More about what Fiona is doing go to Evolvawellness.com
