Odin Neil

Odin Neil

Senior elephant keeper at Monarto Safari Park, Odin Neil arrived in Adelaide from Auckland in November along with the park’s newest elephant addition, Burma.

What was your biggest achievement in 2024?

Without question, my biggest achievement of 2024 was contributing to getting Asian elephant, Burma, safely transferred from Auckland Zoo to Monarto Safari Park. The biggest thing for me and the team is always making sure that Burma is relaxed and happy. That’s why we developed a plan and spent years preparing her for travel, training her to be comfortable in her crate, and planning for all the different contingencies – we’re always just trying to do the best by her and spent a lot of time making sure Burma was content.

What are some of the goals you have at the moment?

My focus now is to help settle Burma into her new home at Monarto Safari Park and be here to support her as she integrates into a new herd with four other elephants. I’ve worked with Burma for more than 15 years now, so there’s a lot of trust and rapport there which has really helped throughout her move and will be important as we introduce her to Permai, Putra Mas, Tang Mo and Pak Boon. It’s unquestionably the best thing for Burma to be part of a new herd and build bonds with other elephants, but there’s going to be a period of adjustment there, too.

What are some setbacks you’ve faced over your career?

We tried hard to sustain the elephant program in Auckland, but ultimately, we weren’t able to form a herd over there. And then we made the decision to phase out elephants from Auckland Zoo, which was a huge moment, because it brought up all these big questions that didn’t have any clear or immediate answers – such as what did that mean for Burma, the team, my career?

What’s a piece of advice you live by?

Follow your passion. Doing that has led into a lifestyle which I absolutely love. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. My career has always been about following the paths I enjoy, and it not only makes it easy to get out of bed in the morning but also makes it incredibly rewarding.

What are you looking forward to in 2025?

Elephants, and then more elephants! With Burma’s quarantine now complete, we’re looking at bringing Permai and Putra Mas over from Perth by mid-year, and the two girls, Pak Boon and Tang Mo, will make the move from Taronga Zoo before the end of the year.

Courtney Sumner-Kimlin

Courtney Sumner-Kimlin

Courtney Sumner-Kimlin is an operations and finance administrator at Adelaide Fringe. Courtney is a proud Ngarrindjeri, Kaurna and Arrernte woman and was named SA’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year at the 2023 South Australian Training Awards.

What was your biggest achievement in 2024?

Being selected by the Australian Training Awards to join the Today’s Skills, Tomorrow’s Leaders program after being a finalist in the ATAs. I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am to have received this accolade and I feel as if it’s a major step in the right direction for where I envision my career heading.

What goals are you working on right now?

After a big year of accolades and awards, right now, I’m working to further grow and develop my skills with some help from the people in my immediate networks such as Adelaide Fringe (where I work) and my peers from the Australian Training Awards. Sharing my path with others by shining a light on the connection between VET and the Arts by showing how VET can lead to a fulfilling arts career pathway is something you’ll see me championing in 2025.

What setbacks have you faced in your career?

During my traineeship, I struggled to keep up with coursework while balancing personal challenges towards the end of the program.

How did you overcome these setbacks, and what did you learn?

Having a strong support network of people who championed me gave me the confidence to grow into myself. I learned to be kind and patient with myself – it’s okay not to know everything or get everything right. Mistakes are part of growth!

What are you looking forward to in 2025?

On both a personal and professional level, I’m excited for the 2025 Adelaide Fringe. It’s so rewarding to work all year towards something and then see it arrive and get to experience it.

What are your New Year’s resolutions?

To embrace every opportunity, make the most of the year, and fully immerse myself in everything I do.

David Bowley, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, Wilson Shawyer, Tsering Hannaford and Courtney Sumner-Kimlin.

Andriana Petrakis

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Andriana Petrakis

Andriana Petrakis is a tennis player who has autism. At the time of print, she is ranked number one in Australia and five in the world in her category.

What was your biggest achievement in 2024?

I won my second singles title at the Australian Tennis Championships, and I was nominated for Young Australian of the Year.

What are some setbacks you’ve faced over your career?

I remember when I was selected to train with the National Squad and I had a commitment to be at training camps and Players with Intellectual Impairment (PWII) tournaments, my parents struggled financially to get me there. One other possible setback that I can think of is when I got picked for the first time to represent Australia in the Global Games and I got chickenpox which made me miss out on this huge occasion.

How have you overcome them – and what have you learnt from them?

I could see my parents struggling financially at the time, but I continued to stay focused on my goals and continued to remain positive. Even when I got chickenpox, I remained positive knowing that this would pass so that I could resume my tennis training. Tennis was giving me a purpose.

What are you looking forward to in 2025? New Year’s resolutions?

I am now an assistant tennis coach with Tennis SA’s Pathway Program and looking forward to continuing this into 2025, to inspire young people with a disability to learn new skills, meet new people and apply themselves while also having fun. I have a passion for public speaking, and I would like to continue to share this passion with my positivity and understanding of autism with everyone and to also share my experience, skills, and knowledge I have gained with other young people with intellectual disabilities. Reaching out to more people, whether they have a disability or not, so I can continue to have a positive influence on everyone’s lives.

Wilson Shawyer

Wilson Shawyer

Wilson Shawyer has had a big year, with the Good Gilbert owner opening three new venues. The flagship venue on Goodwood Road was named Gourmet Traveller’s best wine bar in Australia 2023.

What was your biggest achievement in 2024?

Opening three venues without losing my mind! But ultimately, that would be a hard question to answer, there have been so many amazing little wins we’ve had this year, and it wouldn’t be possible to narrow it down to one.

What are some of the goals you have at the moment?

Communication. Whilst I’m known for having a Whatsapp group for every different aspect of the business with our business partners and colleagues, the plan is to move these to be more regular face-to-face, something I struggle with given the lack of time I have at the moment.

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Is there a moment in your life you see as pivotal to who you are now?

Two points in time. The first is taking that big chance, and packing my bags straight out of school and moving to London. I think this helped solidify what area of the industry I most loved, and where I felt I could be my best.

The second is probably my dad having a stroke 18 months ago, in combination with an accident that has left me without the ability to smell, and for the most part, taste. This has given me a completely different perspective on what we are doing, and how I look at the businesses.

What’s a piece of advice you live by?

Forgiveness, not permission.

What are you looking forward to in 2025?

Getting back into the businesses. I’ve spent a lot of 2024 on building sites, covered in paint, grime, dust and cuts and scratches. I’m looking forward to the tools down aspect, and being able to enjoy being in the businesses for service.

New Year’s resolutions?

To refrain from signing any more leases – and I should probably try to kick the ciggies.

Isaac Humphries

Isaac Humphries

Isaac Humphries is a professional basketball player for the Adelaide 36ers, as well as a musician with an upcoming Adelaide Fringe show. He is the first openly gay player in the NBL.

What was your biggest achievement in 2024?

It was a huge year for me, it is so hard to narrow one thing down to being my biggest achievement. From winning MVP for the Adelaide 36ers, to signing a three-year extension, playing for Australia, releasing new music and selling out my first-ever Adelaide Fringe season. Creating and rolling out a national educational module with RUOK? into every high school in Australia, focusing on students learning how to deal with mental health and help identify signs within friendships, would have to be my biggest achievement of 2024.

What are some setbacks you’ve faced over your career?

Some of my biggest setbacks have been my lengthy run of almost-career ending injuries that took me out of the Tokyo Olympic squad (in 2021), a season of basketball and many other opportunities. During that time, I was dealing with suicidal depression due to the internal battle I was having with myself about my sexuality. This period in my life was home to easily some of the biggest setbacks I have ever faced. However, it also provided a lot of space for learning and growth for myself.

How have you overcome them – and what have you learnt from them?

My body, after a lot of rehab and training, is back on track and I am playing basketball again. On the mental health side of things, I believe it is a continual journey with ups and downs. I think there is only so much you can “overcome” with mental health before it becomes more of an educated understanding of yourself and continuing to just handle it all better with tools and help.

Is there a moment in your life you see as pivotal to who you are now?

When I came out as gay two years ago, it changed my life forever. Not only did it allow me to open up to so many people I had been lying to my whole life, it allowed me to finally give myself a chance to live freely and learn about who I am and the amazing community I get be part of now. The lessons about myself and life in general that I have learned from people in and out of the community over my coming out journey have been incredibly valuable.

What’s a piece of advice you live by?

Don’t base decisions on the advice of those that don’t have to deal with the results.

What are you looking forward to in 2025?

I am very excited, of course, to finish the season with the 36ers and go as far into playoffs as we can! I am very much looking forward to Adelaide Fringe, where I am performing a new show in a new venue, the Vagabond, at the Garden of Unearthly Delights. I also can’t wait to see what opportunities come my way to bring more exposure to mental health, not only in men or the queer community, but everyone in Australia.

New Year’s resolutions?

Try to carve more opportunities to see my two nephews in Sydney.

Katherine Bennell-Pegg

Katherine Bennell-Pegg

The first Australian woman to qualify as a professional astronaut, Katherine Bennell-Pegg is an astronaut at the Australian Space Agency and an InDaily 40 Under 40 alumnus.

What was your biggest achievement in 2024?

It was such an honour to graduate as an astronaut – better yet, an Australian astronaut. It’s pinch-me stuff to be mission-assignment-ready for a professional mission to the International Space Station or even beyond. I remember standing on the stage with my astronaut class – The Hoppers – after passing all the exams and gruelling training together, and seeing my family excited up on the balcony, my daughters’ legs dangling and arms waving through the railing. It really hit home to me how the achievement is not just mine – it was a whole of family endeavour. It was the culmination of a childhood dream and my more adult dream to help grow the Australian space sector.

Is there a moment in your life you see as pivotal to who you are now?

I remember realising at school when I started reading science books and magazines that so much remains to be discovered. That blew my mind because in the classroom I felt as if it was all solved and we were just learning the answers. As a teenager, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to learn to fly and have a hobby telescope at home. These things meant I saw science and maths at school as a tool to do my hobbies better – whether to create better ‘rollercoasters’ in the sky when doing aerobatic manoeuvres, or understand how to more effectively use the telescope’s lenses. I also remember meeting Paul Scully-Power and Andy Thomas around that time – I was so encouraged by them, and it showed me how at that time it was possible to have a great space career as an Australian, albeit overseas at that time for what I wanted to do. Now, it’s so great that people can have a breadth of compelling space careers in this country.

What’s a piece of advice you live by?

Almost everything is a product of time, talent, and effort – with effort being the most important. (Continued on Page 56)

What are you looking forward to in 2025?

This year the world’s largest space conference will be held in Australia – the International Astronautical Congress, co-hosted by the Australian Space Agency. The world’s space agencies will all visit and make plans for the next steps in space exploration and utilisation. We are on the cusp of the next great space utilisation and exploration endeavour.

New Year’s resolutions?

To finally unpack the boxes I haven’t yet got to since moving back to Adelaide! This year I will strive for a bit more balance – I haven’t lived all the ‘self-care’ principles, which are so important for human behaviour and performance, in the past couple of months as well as I should have. So, getting back to my hobbies, like scuba-diving for example, together with my family, is something I’m excited for.

Justin James

Justin James

Chef Justin James was the vision behind Restaurant Botanic, named 2023 Restaurant of the Year by Gourmet Traveller. This year, Justin will open his own restaurant, Aptos.

What was your biggest achievement in 2024?

It has to be making the decision to open my very first restaurant as an owner. After 22 years as a chef, I am beyond ready to open what I believe a dining experience can be.

What are some of the goals you have at the moment?

The biggest goal is to get the restaurant open! That is what I am working on and thinking about every day. Outside of that I have recently welcomed a sheepadoodle into the family named Saké and I want to train her to do every trick in the book. I have recently come into my golf era in life and I am really excited to dive deep into enjoying the game. The last goal has been removing alcohol from my life, something I never thought I would do, it’s only been a month or so but the rewards outweigh any big night out.

Is there a moment in your life you see as pivotal to who you are now?

There have been many pivotal moments in my life to get to who I am now. We learn more when we lose or when we are broke, or when we are heartbroken. I have experienced all of those. One of the most defining moments for me that has made me the man I am and the chef I am was my time at Eleven Madison Park in New York. The discipline I learned in how to work, clean, organise, and be efficient is how I do many tasks in life outside and inside a restaurant. The mental strength I gained on pushing myself is what gave me resilience and also confidence. If you believe in an idea or have a goal and you say that every day; eventually if you don’t quit you will get there, and that’s something I do every day.

What’s a piece of advice you live by?

Don’t take yourself too seriously. You can only control yourself. To stay the same, we must change. Don’t throw where the receiver is, throw where the receiver will be. Keep pushing, never give up, eventually you will get where you want to be.

What are you looking forward to in 2025?

I am looking forward to not being an employee. There is a long list I want to achieve and the reality is that that list would never be completed working for someone else.

New Year’s resolutions?

Not the biggest in New Year’s resolutions. I add goals all through the year. I guess what I like to do is reflect and ask myself am I better than I was a year ago and if I can confidently say yes in most categories, it was a good year. Of course, there will be areas where I can improve and I will then make a stronger focus to improve so when it comes to the next year I can say yes, I am better now than then.

Tsering Hannaford

Tsering Hannaford

Artist Tsering Hannford has had a busy year, painting an array of faces in live sittings. Tsering, the daughter of famed artist Robert Hannaford, was highly commended in the Archibald Prize in 2020.

What was your biggest achievement in 2024?

In 2024 I was very honoured to have a portrait acquired by the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. It was a beautiful project celebrating the life and achievements of the legendary Stephanie Alexander, whose career spans five decades and whose Kitchen Garden Foundation has fundamentally changed the way we think about food in Australia. Together, we highlighted the confidence of a long life well lived with reference to Jenny Joseph’s 1961 poem ‘Warning’, which is about ageing defiantly and unashamedly and references the colour purple, which is the dominant colour theme of the portrait.

What are some of the goals you have at the moment?

In between my portraits, I’ve been developing a body of work in response to a residency I took with Paspaley Pearls in the Kimberley so I’m looking forward to completing those pieces and exhibiting them in Sydney.

What are some setbacks you’ve faced over your career?

An interesting setback in 2024 has been an injury which has slowed me down with work over the past few months.

How have you overcome them – and what have you learnt from them?

I’ve been so fortunate to have other things I’ve been able to lean into during this time and be more involved in my community through my role on the Guildhouse Board and as Co-Head of City with 10×10 Philanthropy. I’ve stayed curious about the experience and have had a great chance to practice acceptance and live a more balanced life.

Is there a moment in your life you see as pivotal to who you are now?

The biggest sliding door moment was probably my decision (which I didn’t intentionally make) to go to art school and study art history. As a young person, I’d always been creative and I studied fashion design and technology at TAFE part-time alongside my undergraduate degree. Towards the end of the degree, I dropped TAFE to focus on completing university. Finally, after finishing uni and taking a gap year, I was excited to get back to fashion but realised my enrolment had lapsed so I was left in the lurch. I didn’t want another year off so I signed up to the two creative options that were available to me last minute – which was a post graduate art history course and art school.

Daisy Buckland

Daisy Buckland

Daisy Buckland is a publicist with Sassafras PR. When she’s not curating the perfect guest list and putting out spot fires, Daisy is writing Direct Message – a very cool email newsletter – and come holiday time, she will be creating sassy festive cards and notes via Holidais.

What was your biggest achievement in 2024?

Achievement isn’t always immediately visible – for me it was the quiet and consistent work behind the scenes. Also, learning to balance ambition with grace.

What are some of the goals you have at the moment?

Elevate local brands/stories on a national and international level. Build an authentic network. Move with intention. Act with purpose. Oh, and have fun.

What are some setbacks you’ve faced over your career?

There have been moments of self-doubt and times when obstacles appeared to stunt progress. These setbacks challenged my self-belief, but they also turned out to be transformative experiences.

How have you overcome them – and what have you learnt from them?

Resilience, persistence. Nothing grows from playing it safe. Patience is also key– when you’re 25 and navigating a complex industry, you build your reputation one move at a time.

Is there a moment in your life you see as pivotal to who you are now?

Meeting my current boss, Sarah Abbott. I had long admired her and knew if I pursued a career in publicity, I wanted Sarah as my mentor. I called her every day for a week until she gave me a job. Landing the job was pivotal. When you ask for a seat at the table, you honour the legacy of those who invite you in.

David Bowley

David Bowley

Vinteloper winemaker David Bowley was named a Young Gun of Wine finalist and has dedicated himself to regenerating vines in the Adelaide Hills since they were lost in a 2019 fire.

What was your biggest achievement in 2024?

Hands down, the biggest win of 2024 was seeing our epic new cellar door finally rise from the ashes. Completing a multi-year construction project has really put that signature Vinteloper sparkle back in my eye. The build itself is a testament to never giving up and a good reason to celebrate the wins.

What are some of the goals you have at the moment?

To cultivate deeper, more meaningful relationships with loved ones and build a strong support network. To be a more present and connected husband and father – a huge challenge when juggling a business, a construction project, and a new baby. And to improve everyone’s sleep wellbeing. Simply put: get the kids to sleep through the night! What a game-changer that would be.

What are some setbacks you’ve faced over your career?

Setbacks? Or should we call them failures? There are too many to list. GFC. Fire. Pandemic. China tariffs. But I think of them as plot twists! Unexpected detours that teach you valuable lessons and sometimes lead to amazing discoveries and new opportunities.

How have you overcome them – and what have you learnt from them?

Your “why” is your anchor in a storm, your guiding light in the darkness. It’s the fuel that keeps your fire burning, even when the winds of change threaten to extinguish it. So, first, I know my why. Second, I hold onto my “why” – it’s the key to weathering any storm and emerging stronger on the other side.

Is there a moment in your life you see as pivotal to who you are now?

Meeting my wife Sharon was an extremely pivotal moment, not only for the obvious reasons of growing a family together. She’s shown me the value of precision, dedication and preparation.

New Year’s resolutions?

I’m really focusing on two things: to be more journey-focused (and not just about the destination) and I’m going to celebrate the wins harder and with more enthusiasm.

David Bowley, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, Wilson Shawyer, Tsering Hannaford and Courtney Sumner-Kimlin.

This article first appeared in the January 2025 issue of SALIFE magazine.