Lucas Dawson
On Saturday, 30 August 2025, The Australian Women’s Weekly‘s Health Summit series officially went national, with our first Melburnian event at the Crowne Plaza, Melbourne.
This year, we are going national thanks to our sponsors: Priceline Pharmacy, together with Blackmores and Colgate.
We covered all things health (specifically women’s health), with our more than 150 guests. Throughout the day, our guests were treated to several informative panel discussions, interactive installations and delicious healthy food!
The Weekly Editor, Sophie Tedmanson, hosted the event, and Jessica Rowe emceed. Corrina Brazel, the General Manager at Marketing Wesfarmers Health, kicked off proceedings with an introduction speech about the “hot topic — no pun intended”, she said to a giggling crowd, and Priceline’s newest initiative “, Anything Menopause”, to support women experiencing menopause. This program offers resources and guidance, including training for pharmacists and pharmacy assistants, to help women manage symptoms and access to services like the InstantScripts Menopause consultation service, which is a female GP-led initiative. Find out more here.
In case you missed it (or if you did attend and want to relive the day), here’s a rundown of everything that happened. Plus, the best learnings from the panellists.
One-on-one with Cathy Freeman OAM
The incredible Cathy Freeman joined us to reflect on her legacy, 25 years after her Olympic win, but also to discuss how she dealt with that pressure and her mental health journey.
It was a very personal interview for The Australian Women’s Weekly Editor, Sophie Tedmanson, who was there in the crowd when Cathy won her gold medal. Sophie also ran in the Olympic torch relay, which ended with Cathy lighting the Olympic fire at Sydney Harbour. And as a surprise for Cathy, Sophie brought along the actual torch from the race.
Cathy shared that it was hard for her to even wrap her head around how impactful those Olympics were.
“I didn’t envisage then, 25 years year, the impact,” she said. “Athletes focus on the technical aspect. It’s really surprising how folks are so joyous in the memory of the story.”
As a shy kid, she didn’t prepare for the reaction of others, but she felt like “Australia was all behind me.”
When she was taking part in the relay, she admitted that she wanted to run away, but her coach told her to keep moving.
“It’s okay to be human in those moments,” she shared. “Being vulnerable is very natural. Admitting you have the wobbles is strength in itself.”
Now, at 52, her mind isn’t so focused on athletics, but rather raising her daughter: “Young people are our future. It’s a gift to be a parent. It’s never easy, but it’s worth it.”
“I want to have a future through my daughter.”
Now, her focus is on her own health, so she can be the best parent to her daughter and mentor to those in her community.
“I live by the wisdom of women and fall into the arms of women [in my community],” she said, giving a particular mention of mothers.
“I try to stay focused on what’s within me, but it’s hard not to be distracted by what’s happening outside.”
And how does former Olympian Cathy Freeman stay grounded?
“Journaling and being alone in nature, real conversations with my friends, a good laugh, music, movies and TV.”
She gave a special shout-out to the Will Arnett show, Flaked, which is a “tragic story, but it gives you some pretty cool life lessons,” and Gracie and Frankie, which she said was “hilarious”
She left us with the final advice to”Embrace the vulnerable, and it will make you stronger,” and “Be truthful and act accordingly.” Also, protect your peace and don’t let the world corrupt it.
Self-compassion and signs of burnout with Dr Olivia Ong
When Olivia was a resident doctor, she was hit by a car in the hospital car park. At just 28 years old, she had to relearn how to do everything. The accident and her spinal cord injury literally forced her to slow down, and when she did, she realised how burned out she was. Now, she aims to help those in business not get burned out.
Her experience forced her to go through the five stages of grief every day.
“I thought I knew it all, but as a patient, I realised I didn’t know anything,” she confessed to the crowd. “Resilience is not about pushing through, it’s a bout learning to pause.”
Olivia described burnout as something insidious that can “creep quietly”. What are the signs?
- Exhausted, even after a full night’s sleep
- Constant cough and cold (it’s a sign that your immune system is suffering)
- Brainfog
- Skin issues
- Losing hair (“After two kids, there’s not much left!”)
- Detached from your loved ones, joyless and numb
- Disregulated nervous system
- Persistent pains
- Anxiety
She said that if she could write a script for self-compassion, she would.
“Energy is an expensive commodity,” she said. “We need to say no when we need to say no.”
She advised a two-minute body scan meditation, practices self-compassion, and carving out time for ourselves.
Putting yourself first with Erin Phillips OAM
Erin describes herself as an “impatient kid”. She had a poster of the Beijing Olympics on her bedroom ceiling, which was a constant reminder of her goals. So no matter what, she constantly kept pushing herself, but at some point, that pressure can be too much.
“We run out of time for ourselves,” she said. “I didn’t need to worry about others’ expectations. If it wasn’t my best performance, it was my worst.”
But then she was on a plane and when the crew were advising the passengers to put their mask on before helping others, she realised “That’s life!”
She shared that she would use a “mask sign” to ask her teammates if they were good and taking care of themselves on the field and the court.
Like Olivia and Cathy, Erin advised us to do body scan meditations, but also to own the compliments people give us. She said we should all write down three good things about ourselves and say them out loud to ourselves every day.
Talking menopause with Mel Gannon from Priceline Pharmacy
Mel Gannon, expert Pharmacist from Priceline Pharmacy, joined The Australian Women’s Weekly Health Editor, Ashleigh Austen, to talk about the challenges women face during menopause.
She said that even though it can be different for everyone, Priceline Pharmacy can be a great resource for women going through this hormonal change in their lives and connecting people with other allied healthcare professionals.
“I’m so pleased that we are talking about the symptoms that are being dismissed from itchy ears to urinary health, estrogen has an impact…that can be debilitating”
She urged guests to speak with their healthcare professionals, GPs, or their pharmacist (“It’s free to nip in!”).
And most importantly, she said, “It’s never too early to start looking after your health.” What’s the one thing she wishes people would check: cardiovascular health.
“You don’t have signs or symptoms until it’s too late.”
Surprising link between menopause and dentistry: Ask the Expert
The biggest reaction of the day didn’t go to Cathy Freeman; it went to Cathryn Carboon from Colgate, who brought the house down with her statement: “Our mouth is like a vagina with teeth.”
But her point was totally valid. She said that our oral mucosa is almost identical to that of our vaginas. And that’s when our estrogen drops, it drops everywhere, from our vaginas to our mouths.
Cathryn shared that it can lead to a higher risk of dental decay and gum disease. Some signs to look out for are:
- Burning mouth syndrome
- Oral thrush
- Ulcers and irritation that take longer to heal
- Increased sensitivity and tooth decay
“It’s the gift that keeps on giving,” responded The Australian Women’s Weekly Health and Beauty Editor, Ashleigh Austen.
Some things that your dentist may be able to spot before other healthcare professionals include cancer and sleep apnea. And dental issues can link or other conditions like heart attack, stroke, diabetes, arthritis and even Alzheimer’s.
She also advised that we shouldn’t be nervous to go to the dentist as “we’ve seen it all.”
“Prevention is far better than a cure.”
Some teeth whitening tips: drink water with your coffee and eat cheese with your wine. Use a soft-bristle brush and brush for at least two minutes!
Natural ways to deal with menopause: Ask the Expert
Blackmore’s Naturopath Leah Thomas shared some tips to help with this transition in women’s lives:
- Add three tablespoons of flaxseeds to keep you regular, reduce hot flushes, and help to reduce vaginal dryness (buy them whole and grind them down to add to your porridge, yogurt, or smoothies.)
- Saffron extract can support mood balance and sleep quality
- Sage tea, brewed hot but drunk cold, can also help with hot flushes.
Her main advice was to ensure that you start with a conversation with your GP, naturopath and pharmacists to ensure you are taking the supplements that you need. Get your bloods tested regularly and only purchase TGA-approved products and brands that are backed by science, not a post on Facebook.
She also said that we should “schedule in those pyjama days” and “be kind to yourselves.”
Perimenopop with Sohie Ellis-Bextor
The British pop artist Sophie made a surprise showing after the lunch break! In a pre-recorded video, she shared that she hoped everyone was having a lovely day and praised that we were speaking about this issue, which has recently become a major theme of her life: perimenopause.
Her latest album, Perimenopop, is inspired by this latest stage of her life and is about “coming into your power” and flipping the script so that we can “feel good and joyful”.
Look out for our interview with Sophie in the October issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly!
Perimenopause Perigodmothers: Shelly Horton and Michelle Bridges
Friends and now perimenopause colleagues Shelly and Michelle took to the stage.
In September 2020, after an “armageddon period” while on the Mirena contraceptive, Shelly realised that something was not quite right down there. She fashioned herself a pad out of toilet paper (“A high-value commodity at the time”) and went to see a bulk-billed doctor. She was told that it could be cancer, then it was stress-related, and she blamed herself.
“I didn’t get help for another nine months…I lost confidence.” It wasn’t until her partner told her that there “might be something wrong with the chemicals in your brain” that things started to change. At her next doctor’s appointment, she heard about perimenopause for the first time.
“I wasn’t grateful, I got mad,” she shared with the crowd. She made it her mission to get menopause added to the medical care curriculum. And she, along with many other inspired people, succeeded. Not only that, but Hormone Replacement Therapy is now on the PBS.
At a similar time, her co-panellist, Michelle Bridges, was going to the GP all the time with different ailments, from a “dial-up sound” in her ears to a “chainsaw pain” in her hip. She couldn’t sleep, had bad cholesterol, and was deficient in Vitamin D. One day, she was listening to a podcast about perimenopause, where they mentioned those exact symptoms, and it clicked.
Did you know that osteoporosis can kill you? Neither did Michelle when she started looking into the effects of menopause.
Now she’s not “buying into the bullsh*t and ageism” and has fully embraced the “menopause girl” persona from her book, to her popular fitness regime, to her podcast.
Their advice on what to look out for: Sleep health, lifting weights, adding a cardio “spike” to your regimen (jumping for 20 seconds), nutrition, and hormone health with your doctor.
They also made us jump for 20 seconds to get us started on our health and fitness journey!
Menopause Mythbusting with Dr Fatima Khan and Lisa Schweighoffer
Dr Fatima Khan is Australia’s foremost expert on menopause and this stage of women’s life. She has appeared on numerous podcasts (including Shelly and Michelle’s) and books (including Shelly and Michelle’s). There are so many symptoms, but not a lot of information out there for women, she shared on the menopause panel.
She said that at 40 years of age, women start losing progesterone, which has knock-on effects around the body. She advised that we trust our intuition, take time to nourish our bodies, lift weights, focus on sleep hygiene, do a life audit to manage our stress and go to our doctor for hormone therapy. One thing that she constantly comes up against is women’s fears about hormone replacement therapy.
“We’ve debunked all the fears,” she said. “It’s safe, but don’t wait, life’s too short.”
Lisa is the co-founder of Boost Lab, an affordable, clinically proven skincare brand, with her husband. She was inspired to launch the business after her skin started exhibiting classic symptoms of menopause following a hysterectomy, like acne, dullness, and dryness. So, she went shopping with her daughter and bought two serums that cost her $60. She realised that skincare in her age bracket was being overlooked, overpriced, and overcomplicated, and thus Boost Lab was born.
As she said, skin is your body’s largest organ, and we should protect it. She advised on serums and SPFs. Find out more on Boost Lab’s website.
Healthy Food with Fran
Women’s Weekly Food Director, Fran Abdallaoui, made a “pick-your-protein protein bowl” with Jess Rowe. She admitted that “food is my love language”, so she was happy to cook for Jess, who confessed she was “not good at chopping.”
While she was going through the steps for the protein bowl, Fran shared some advice and tips for cooking, from rinsing your silverbeet well, to cooking quinoa in bone broth for added nutrients, to picking produce that is “smiling at me”, i.e. looks happy and healthy!
Servers also came around to serve medjool dates stuffed with peanut butter, smothered in chocolate and sprinkled with rose petals, salt or nuts (depending on the chocolate)!
Both recipes they shared are available on Women’s Weekly Food: Stuffed dates and Protein Bowl.
Amazing activations
Attendees were able to get their health checked by a nifty gizmo, courtesy of Priceline Pharmacy. The SiSu Health Station, which in under 4 minutes provided our guests with their weight, BMI, blood pressure and whether they were at risk of diabetes.
Also, there was a super fun “Spin the Wheel” where guests could win luxury skincare items and more. It was so popular that the queue for it snaked around the floor!
All in all, and if we do say so ourselves, we believe our first Health Summit in Melbourne was a roaring success!
The next summit is happening in Gold Coast on Saturday, 13 September, at the Hilton Surfers Paradise. Buy tickets here and find out who the panellists are here.
If you’re going through a hard time right now, the Beyond Blue Support Service offers a free and confidential counselling service. You can call them on 1300 224 636, chat online, or email them 24/7.
