Josh Lalor is a professional cricketer who has represented New South Wales, various Big Bash League clubs and, more recently, relished a stint playing in the Caribbean Premier League.

The past decade has been a dynamic and fast-moving experience, juggling a cricket career, work career and a young family. Having twice been de-listed from the New South Wales contract list, Josh has had to maintain resilience and perspective in the face of adversity.

Adversity and resilience are reflected in Josh’s continual success, on and off the field. His ongoing experiences keep opening doors and creating fresh perspectives on life.

Whilst always having a love for the written word, it was an inspiring encounter at high school where Jack Hunter knew there was an audience for his writing. The support and backing of teachers, friends and family have helped Jack follow and develop his passion.

Over the past decade, Jack has hit many milestones and accomplishments. A local author from the Blue Mountains, Jack has produced four books and regularly contributes online. However, the successes have been tempered by a series of challenges and realisations.

His latest work, Better Than Bad is a collection of thirty-one short stories that dissects our obsession with ourselves. By turning a satirical lens on controversial issues ranging from politics to influencers, the book illuminates the dark comedy lurking within every facet of modern society.

As an elite athlete Brendan Davies has travelled the world, competing with some of the best runners on the globe.

It wasn’t until his late twenties that Brendan started competitive running. With a post-graduate qualification in Special Education and a career as a teacher, it took time, significant commitment and strong race results before the opportunities as an elite athlete opened for him.

The sport of ultra-marathon requires a year-round commitment that features global meets, mixed with domestic competition and it was a permanent move to the Blue Mountains that further sparked a love for the outdoors and a love for trail running. A sense of exploration has always driven Brendan and led him through an eventful career as an ultra-marathon runner.

“That’s what hooked me into the sport (my love of the adventure of it) and always maintaining that strong curiosity and not taking it too seriously. At the end of the day, if you take it too seriously, you’ll fall out of love with it,” Brendan said.

“Once you fall out of love with it, that’s when things start to go wrong, and you wouldn’t end up become a life-long runner. I’ve always wanted to be someone that runs forever”.

Aidan Williams has seen some of the most picturesque parts of the world. As an adventure photographer, with a passion for the outdoors and a determination to capture amazing moments, Aidan has followed some of the world’s leading highliners on their death-defying journeys.

Growing up in the Blue Mountains, the epicentre of outdoor adventure in Sydney, Aidan uncovered the power of photography and its ability to communicate special moments with others. Despite landing a dream job as a photographer for a major newspaper, Aidan followed his instincts – leaving his work to travel overseas, uncovering the wild and devoted world of highlining.

With the support of friends and family, Aidan showed persistence and embraced the risk of a career change. His bold career move uncovered the need for photography in highlining and opened Aidan to an exciting new world.

“(I decided) I’m going to find what this is. I’m going to throw myself at it. Not even knowing what it looked like!”, Williams said.

“It just really captured my imagination. I thought, ‘why am I shooting (photographing) these people who are in a big stadium? Yes, there are a 100 000 people, but this person (highliner) is in nature. They’re almost walking on nothing. This is where I want to be.’ It was, honestly, magical”

Aidan’s drive and persistence has seen him become one of the world’s best highline photographers, evident through his accolades and global coverage. However, he still maintains his humble nature and commitment to refining his craft.

Katie Lees has been involved in performing arts since her childhood. Growing up in the Blue Mountains, drama and theatre played a big part in her life and has taken her around the world, on memorable and moving adventures.

Katie’s experiences on stage have seen her visit India, United Kingdom, Italy, areas of eastern Europe and many more, largely driven by the opportunity to impart her passion and knowledge with others. During this journey of exploration and adventure, Katie has been able to share her love for performing arts with the many people she has worked with.

It is the opportunity to help inspire communities and to engage with people in difficult situations that has kept Katie motivated, rather than the chase of celebrity status.

More recently, Katie has shifted to writing her own shows, which has provided a fresh energy and new perspective to her career

Jazz Hourigan is a local musician, with a love for performance and a love of people. Jazz has had a whirlwind career - he has chased his passion, always striving for greatness and not sitting and waiting for things to happen. He has overcome many challenges and faced difficult realizations in life. Throughout, the support of friends and family and a strong perspective has helped him through and kick started a new beginning.