22. From Homelessness to History-Making: The Unbreakable Journey of Marissa Williamson Pohlman

Building Doors with Lauren Karan

We're not always going to feel amazing, but it is about always just self-reflecting and thinking about the 17-year-old girl that was down and out, homeless, couldn't afford to eat, who just always dreamed of being an Australian champion and having her own house and having an established family and a good coach. I have all those things now. Marissa Williamson Pohlman.

Marissa Williamson Pohlman, is a proud Ngarrindjeri with strong family connections to Quandamooka, Yeidji, Wurundjeri and Woiwurrung.

Marissa’s introduction to boxing began as an outlet to keep her away from detention after a tough childhood of foster care and homelessness.

Her resilience and determination from that point has led her to an admirable sporting career as a two-time Australian boxer who has competed both nationally and internationally.

On the 9th August 2023 Marissa Williamson Pohlman made history as the first female recipient of the Arthur Tunstall Trophy at 2023 Australian Elite Boxing Championships marking a turning point in the recognition of women's excellence in the sport.

She has achieved the milestone of two-time National Boxing Champion, 2019 NAIDOC sportsperson of the year, 2021 Sports Australian holder and 2019 NAIDOC Sportsperson of the Year, 2021 Sports Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship holder and national representative on the high-performance national boxing team. She also toured Europe with the Australian Boxing team and was selected as a representative for the Women’s World Boxing Championship team in India.

Marissa’s goal is to represent Australia in the Olympics.

Outside of the boxing ring, Marissa works as a Heritage Policy Officer at the Department of Premier and cabinet providing a First Nations perspective into policymaking.

A proud Ngarrindjeri woman, she is deeply passionate about caring for the country and its restoration.

In this episode Marissa shares with us her own incredible journey of resilience and determination and we speak about:

• How we learn out greatest lessons through taking the hard road
• Sport as a pathway away from homelessness and detention
• The rigorous schedule required of an elite athlete in Australia
• The paradigm shift of voice in Parliament
• Systemic racism
• The importance of self determination
• Having a plan B
• The financial struggles to build a career as an elite athlete
• Having a grateful mindset and manifesting success
• What we can learn from first nations culture

Marissa speaks openly about her journey as a first nations woman in policy and parliament and her aspirations to be a role model to young people.

She talks with honesty and vulnerability about her own journey, the struggles and self determination required every day to overcome adversity.

Marissa talks about how if we take the hard road, we will live an easy life.

She shares her own mental health struggles and how she reestablished her life and has risen to great heights in the sporting arena and career.

Marissa reminds us that where we end up need not be where we started but throughout the journey we can allow ourselves to be vulnerable, tackle the struggles and show up to be the best version of ourselves each day.

It's time to stop waiting and start building with Marissa Williamson Pohlman.

You can connect with Marissa on LinkedIn or follow her Instagram

Marissa is also looking for sponsorship opportunities to make her Olympic dream a reality.

You can learn help make Marissa's dream a reality by donating here.

About your host:

Lauren Karan, Director and Founder of Karan & Co.

With over a decade of experience as a recruiter and development coach, Lauren Karan found that her priorities rapidly changed after the birth of her two children. In 2022 she founded Karan & Co flipping the out-dated recruitment model with a focus on retention through career coaching and development.

Lauren believes that If opportunity doesn’t knock, you have to build a door – and it’s this same philosophy that inspired her to create the Building Doors podcast. The Building Doors podcast is for anyone undergoing a transformation in their life. Regardless of whether you feel stuck in your current role, need some inspiration on what steps to take next, want to learn how to level up as a business owner or simply want to listen to the experiences of successful entrepreneurs and industry professionals, the Building Doors podcast is all about unlocking your potential.

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Time to stop waiting and start building…

In case you missed it:

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