Rising Together

This autumn on the Tweed, we celebrate the women whose work, leadership and care shape the places and lives around us. From high-performance sports to media leadership and social advocacy, they are
creating pathways, building support networks and inspiring others. This edition, celebrating female-led leadership, shares the stories of Kate, Tarla and Theresa and the lasting impact of their work in the community and beyond.

Creating Pathways in Sport: Kate Wilcomes

For Kate Wilcomes, National High Performance Director at Surfing Australia in Casuarina, leadership comes from experience. A former competitor on the World Championship Tour, she spent nine years navigating the highs and lows of elite surfing. She recalls the challenges athletes face around injury management, access to consistent care and balancing performance with wellbeing.

“Looking back, one of the biggest challenges was injury, both prevention and management. Many of my peers faced the same struggle,” Kate says. “Support services existed, but there was often a disconnect in medical history, quality assurance, and consistency. Without oversight, athletes risk burnout and career-ending injuries.”

These experiences now shape her work. She prioritises evidence-based support for athletes, addressing all aspects of performance, not just recovery. “Performance isn’t only about talent. It’s about understanding yourself, your values, and what you need to thrive outside the water to perform in it,” Kate explains.

Her journey also reflects the challenge of balancing career and family. “On tour, I didn’t get it right,” she admits. “Now, having my own family, I understand the importance of perspective. High performance matters, but so does wellbeing and connection.”

Moving from competitor to coach, mentor, board member, and high-performance director has given Kate a holistic understanding of the sport. “This journey reinforced the importance of representation, advocacy, and intentional support. Female surfers have always had talent, but not always equal access to coaching, leadership pathways, or brand support,” she says.

Programs like RISE and Talent UNLSHD are addressing historical gaps. RISE supports all-female boardrider clubs, coaching, and mentorship opportunities. Talent UNLSHD identifies and nurtures the next generation of high-performance female surfers. “These programs reflect the change I want to see, where talent is nurtured holistically, opportunities are tailored, barriers are recognised and reduced, and where women and girls are supported to stay in surfing, whether as elite athletes, coaches, leaders, or contributors in other ways,” Kate notes.

Kate also champions visibility and community through events such as the Seas The Day Women’s Surf Festival. “It’s about belonging. Seeing other women share experiences opens new possibilities,” she says. Her advice to young athletes extends beyond sport: “Back yourself, build resilience and create change alongside others. Your voice and perspective matter, not just for you, but for those who follow.”

Amplifying Voices: Tarla Lambert-Patel

Tarla Lambert-Patel is a Pottsville local, co-owner of Women’s Agenda and co-founder of its parent company, Agenda Media. Through Women’s Agenda, she amplifies women’s voices in business, leadership and society. Since her early 20s, she has worked to fill gaps in women’s media, covering issues often overlooked, including domestic violence, pay gaps, healthcare and leadership inequities.

“I started working on Women’s Agenda in my early 20s, full of ideas and (I’m sure somewhat obnoxious) idealism. I loved what the publication represented. Back in 2014, there was nothing that meaningfully addressed the real challenges women face. When I had the chance to partner on the business in 2017, I jumped at it. A decade later, with a million monthly readers, I think it’s fair to say we made it work.”

Health is a core editorial focus for Women’s Agenda, which also hosts an annual Women’s Health & Wellbeing Summit in Sydney. The summit is designed to normalise and destigmatise conversations about women’s health and ensure funding reaches underserved areas. “As women, we’re notoriously bad at prioritising our health—family and loved ones always come first. But we need to get better. As a single mum, I understand why our instinct is to just keep swimming (metaphorically). But we also need to physically walk, swim, play soccer, do Pilates, eat well, sleep enough, drink less and get regular health checks. I notice for myself, that my mental health is really dependent on a quick daily workout, even if my kids are stretching out next to me. We have to take what we can get,” she says.

Economic participation and leadership remain key challenges for women too. “Political representation has improved, federal parliament now has a majority of women in caucus and cabinet, but leadership in business still lags. Women make up only 27% of CEO roles in the ASX 300, and just 3% of VC funding goes to all-female founding teams,” Tarla explains.

The platform also drives advocacy. “Our MO has always been to keep women’s safety and social issues in mainstream dialogue. As an independent company with zero outside backing, we’re in a privileged position to do this and it’s critical that we do. The stats around crises like domestic violence aren’t improving. Last year, for example, there were more DV-related homicides than the year before. We fight to keep these issues visible and to agitate change through roundtables and stakeholder engagement.”

Compassion in Action: Theresa Mitchell

Theresa Mitchell, founder and CEO of Agape Outreach, has transformed personal hardship into community impact. After surviving domestic violence and navigating single parenthood, she began helping people experiencing homelessness.

“What I learned walking past people sleeping rough is that being seen matters. I couldn’t look away,” she says. Agape now provides 1,500 meals weekly, alongside case management, psychological support, clothing, showers, and life-skills programs across the Northern Rivers and Gold Coast.

Theresa’s leadership is shaped by empathy. “Every person deserves help. Leadership is responding with humanity. It’s not about hierarchy, it’s about being the love that is missing in the world.” She highlights the ripple effect of her work: “Kindness is carried forward by people who were once unseen.”

 Her work has inspired recognition and initiatives supporting other women. The Heart of Women Awards, now in its tenth year, acknowledges women making a difference across diverse fields. “Seeing them acknowledged matters. It gives them a platform to be seen and connect with others doing incredible work,” she says.

Theresa’s accolades, including NSW Local Hero and Regional Woman of the Year, affirmed her mission. Looking ahead, she is focused on expanding housing programs, therapeutic support, and replicable models to address homelessness nationally.

Driving Change and Looking Ahead

Progress is clear: more women in leadership, stronger representation and greater visibility of female-led programs. Yet gaps remain, from unequal access to opportunities and funding to underrepresentation in coaching and leadership roles. Across sport, media and community initiatives, Tweed women are meeting these challenges—creating pathways, mentoring others and amplifying voices. Their guidance is simple: back yourself, build networks, prioritise wellbeing, and lead with empathy.

Stories like those of Kate, Tarla and Theresa show that leadership takes many forms and is measured not in titles but in lives touched and opportunities created for others.

As the season turns, we celebrate these leaders, their communities and the difference women make when they support each other. When women rise, everyone rises.