Women Like Me Stories & Business
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Julie Fairhurst's passion for storytelling, combined with her extensive experience in the business world, makes "Women Like Me Stories & Business" a must-listen podcast for anyone craving insight, motivation, and a newfound sense of purpose.
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Women Like Me Stories & Business
Finding Strength in the Saddle: Tamara's Journey with Chance
What happens when a 12-year-old girl and her horse form a bond that spans over three decades? In this heartfelt conversation, Tamara shares the remarkable story behind her chapter "A Girl and Her Horse: How the Adventure Came Alive" featured in the upcoming book "Beautiful, Broken and Becoming."
From guiding tourists on mountain trails as a pre-teen to competing across British Columbia, Washington, and Alberta, Tamara's journey with her horse, Chance, reveals something profound about healing and resilience.
Now 34 years into their relationship, she describes with tender emotion how this extraordinary animal has been her constant companion through life's darkest moments. "He knows when my emotions change. He knows if I'm physically hurting," she explains, detailing how Chance adjusts his gait when she's in pain and has even stood perfectly still while she fell asleep leaning against him.
The conversation delves into the healing power of storytelling, as Tamara courageously addresses difficult experiences from her past. Having taken on adult responsibilities before finishing high school, she found in Chance the unconditional support sometimes missing elsewhere. Writing her story proved therapeutic: "I think I've had a little bit of weight lifted. It's not something that I'm holding just inside anymore." Her vulnerability reveals an important message for listeners—finding someone trustworthy, whether human or animal, with whom you can share your burdens rather than burying them deep inside.
You can reach out to Tamara here: tamaraoram@gmail.com
Ready to be moved by this extraordinary bond between woman and horse? Discover Tamara's full story in "Beautiful, Broken and Becoming," available on Amazon from July 25th. If her insights resonated with you, consider how sharing your own story might provide unexpected healing.
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Who is Julie Fairhurst?
Julie Fairhurst – Speaker, Author, and Founder of Women Like Me
Julie Fairhurst is a champion for women’s empowerment and the founder of the Women Like Me Book Program. Since 2019, she has published 30 books and 300+ true-life stories—at no cost to the writers—giving women a platform to heal, inspire, and reclaim their power. Dedicated to breaking generational trauma one story at a time, Julie’s mission is to uplift women emotionally and financially, helping them create better lives for themselves and their families.
Well, hi everyone, and thank you for being here. This is another episode of Women Like Me, stories and Business. I'm your host, julie Fairhurst, and today we are talking with Tamara. She is one of our newest authors in our new book, which is called Broken. Oh my gosh, can you believe I have to double check the name Beautiful Broken, beautiful Broken and Becoming. I had a little brain lapse there for a second. And this book comes out Friday, july 25th. So if you're watching this before July 25th, the book comes out then. If you're watching it after, then the book's already on Amazon if you're interested in getting it. So Tamara's title is called A Girl and Her Whores how the Adventure Came Alive. It's an amazing story, you guys, and she is an amazing lady, so I can't wait for you to get to know her. So, tamara, thank you so much for being willing to do this.
Speaker 2:Well, thanks for having me. I'm super excited to you know, be able to have this opportunity to write and share my story. Yeah, awesome.
Speaker 1:So why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself, maybe where you live, anything at all you feel like you want to share?
Speaker 2:Okay, I currently reside in the Okanagan Valley, so, if some of you don't know, this is kind of like the wine country of the Okanagan. We get hundreds and hundreds of tourists every year, so we're a busy little community, but we still find time to enjoy our quiet times, and for me that's with my horse, and to this day I still have chance he's 34 this year.
Speaker 1:34, wow, you've been together 34 years we have.
Speaker 2:I got him when he was a year and a half old.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's like a marriage. It truly is. Yeah, yeah, oh, that's just beautiful, just beautiful. And your title A Girl and Her Horse. So what inspired you to write that story in the book? What inspired you to write that story in the book?
Speaker 2:Well, I had always talked about writing our story and I never knew exactly how that would come to be or if it ever would come to be. And I just happened to fall into and see your link and decided, hey, I'm going to give it a shot and if it happened, it happened. If not, that's okay. And you thought my story was interesting. So I was super excited to dive in and try and put my you know adventures and things that had gathered, all the things that had happened to us over the years, and put it into a little chapter. Yeah, it's perfect.
Speaker 1:I'm just thrilled. I can't wait for people to read it. So was there anything that you almost didn't include in your story, but you did anyway? Was there anything you thought, oh, should I really put that in there? Was there anything.
Speaker 2:You thought, oh, should I really put that in there? Well, there is definitely a section in the book that is very real and hard to write about, hard to relive, but it was an important part to my story so I thought that was important for me to try and work through. So I thought that was important for me to try and work through. It was a lot of emotion and you know things that had happened many, many years ago. And how do you feel now that it's in a book? I'm a little nervous. I'm not going to lie, it's not. A lot of people know some aspects, like a lot of everyone knows, knows. You know, I've had my horse for a long, long time and he's older than some of the people I work with, but you know it's, it's um. I hope that people will appreciate the how hard it was to actually put some of those words to paper.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, for sure, yes, and I just want to, you know, give you like an applause, because it is not easy to write your personal story and it takes a lot of courage, and so I appreciate you for being able to dig in there and actually do it. I know it's tough. So what surprised you most about the writing process? Were you surprised by anything?
Speaker 2:Well, I was never a great English student in school, so I thought am I biting off a little too much here? Is this going to be too hard for me to get all of my memories sorted and and put in a manner that would read easily for people? And and just the editing process, you know, was a little bit more difficult for me.
Speaker 1:I second-guessed myself a lot, had to put it down and come back to it, so I have to ask Siri all the time Oops, she's close to me, I better be careful not mention her name. Can you spell this for me? And then 99% of the time, I have it right. But we always that's just what we do. We doubt ourselves for sure. Yeah, yeah, you did a spectacular job. You did a great job with the editing you did. Your flow is great. I was just really impressed. It's very, very good. So can you tell us a little bit about what your chapter is about?
Speaker 2:So it starts off with when I first started. When I first started where I or I guess, like where I would have purchased chance from, and where how I came to be that he became a part of our life, I would never started off my summer that year looking at, okay, I'm going to end up being a horse owner, but the way my summer went that year and the adventures that came to be, that's where I started off. So it's just kind of a prequel to how he became part of my life. And then we flowed through our different adventures, chance and I, up the the mountains, the different mountains that we've climbed, um different hurdles, getting lost, you know, in the mountains, and how we worked as a team to be able to get home and and how how life just progressed over I kind of jumped over a few years, but just how we progressed and how our bond became so strong.
Speaker 1:Yeah, one of the things I loved when we first talked about your story is that you were actually taking tourists on trail rides at 12 years old.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was one of the trail guides and we'd have anywhere from 10 to 15, 16 people riding out with us up the mountains. Wow, wow.
Speaker 1:That's amazing at that age. Good for you, that is just absolutely amazing. So if you had a message, if your story has a message, which everybody's story has a message what do you think that message is?
Speaker 2:Um, just to stay true to yourself, and no matter how hard life can be, that you always have somebody in your corner and no matter if they're two legged or four legged. I love that and you know there's always someone there that you can lean on and you can make it through just about anything.
Speaker 1:So what's it like having such a tight knit relationship with a horse? Because I you know it's funny. I've been seeing all these things along social media about I'm not sure what to call it, but where people are lying on I think they're getting reiki maybe and it just looks beautiful outside and there's horses there and the horses are just sort of leaning over those people and so what is it like having such a close relationship with a horse?
Speaker 2:is it like having such a close relationship with a horse? He's amazing. He knows when my emotions change. He knows if I'm physically hurting I've had some injuries and still tried to go and ride and I can feel his gait actually change. He'll walk slowly. He'll be be careful. If he feels me shift, he'll stop. It's quite amazing. He's very intuitive. He knows, you know he'll follow me around. If I'm not, you know. If I'm having a harder day, he'll be there. He's even let me fall asleep leaning against him. I had a long day at work and I next thing I knew it was half an hour later and he hasn't budged and he didn't leave my side that day.
Speaker 1:So oh, my goodness.
Speaker 2:That is so beautiful. It's pretty amazing. They have really great energy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and a good friend.
Speaker 2:Very much.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow, that's some. Yeah, that's's, that's beautiful. What do you hope other women will feel when they or learn when they're reading your story?
Speaker 2:are going through a tough time, that because there's a section that is harder for me in my book, in my chapter, and I would hope that they find the strength to keep going to push through that. There will be a light at the end of the tunnel, things will turn around and so so where did you get that faith?
Speaker 1:Was it just going through it?
Speaker 2:or I think, just going through it. Um and then future things hiccups, road bumps, roadblocks. In my life I had chance to lean on and you know we we traveled BC, washington, alberta together, competing. He may not have been the youngest but he had the biggest heart and never let me down. So as hard as some of those adventures were, you know like we, we pushed through together. Yeah it's.
Speaker 1:Some pets can be. I'm going to call him a pet, but he's obviously a good friend and family member, but pets, as family members, um, can help us so much. Just just, I have cats and um, but they know same thing. They know when I'm not feeling well or when I'm tired, or when I need a cuddle, they're there for us. They are. I'm going to get teary-eyed, oh for sure. Okay, so how has your life changed? Do you think by telling your story?
Speaker 2:changed, do you think? By telling your story, I think I've had a little bit of a weight lifted. It's not something that I'm holding just inside anymore. A lot of my even my close friends don't know about some of the hurdles I had growing up and how that's molded me to the person that I am today. I had to grow up very fast and take on a lot of adult responsibilities before I even left high school. So it just oh gosh, I think allowing that story to be out and people to see, to understand that side of me, well, things will make a little bit more sense for those that work with me or that are closer to me that may not know the backstory.
Speaker 1:And it's what I love about these books the Women Like Me books and we've got 180 women who have written, so you're part of that group now in 353 true life stories. What I think is just so beautiful is that there's a healing for the writer, of course, because they're releasing things that they've been holding on to, or maybe some fear, but then we have to remember the other part of it is the. Is the reader, yes, and even so, yes, of course, some of your friends, maybe family members, are going to read it. They're gonna maybe understand you a little better. But also that woman who picks up the book and reads your story and and sees herself in there, picks up the book and reads your story and and sees herself in there, yeah, and then sees that you know you can carry on. There is hope beyond your individual situation, yes, yeah, yeah. So what does beautiful, broken and becoming mean to you personally? Broken and becoming mean to you personally, gosh.
Speaker 2:I with having the book and it, it's meant a lot to me. Just having you know, gosh, this is a hard one. Just you know, achieving that goal of writing a bit of my story. It's definitely going to make the next, you know, hurdle in my life a little bit easier. I have a way to let go of some things and the healing process that it's had has been amazing.
Speaker 1:Just being able to open up about real life. Yeah, I love that you said that, because that's I mean. You know, here you are. You saw my advertisement looking for you know my call out for some writers. You were scared but you said I went the heck, give it a shot. We talked, I loved your story, so I invited you to do it, and then you have the courage to do it, although it was and I just love how you say now, like, like, so if something happens, maybe you're not going to hide it, maybe you're not going to bury it deep down inside Now, maybe maybe you know, are going to be brave enough to deal with it. It could make your life better.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, yeah, and it could for others too. So often we just yeah, yeah, yeah, and it could for others too. So often we just, especially as women, I think, we just bury it, bury it, bury it. But I believe that eventually, somewhere down the line, it's going to start coming out, and it comes out in different ways. It can come out making us sick. It can come out emotionally, causing relationship problems, it can all sorts of problems. So to be able to, as you said, just you know, not have that burden and maybe be able to deal with things when they happen rather than stuff them down, is massive, yes, and I think it's amazing that we can do that through writing our stories.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and hopefully it'll inspire somebody else.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, absolutely, yeah. So in your life, who was the? Well, we already know who was there for you. It was Chance, but let's put a human being out there. So did you have any human beings that were there that really helped you along the way? And if you didn't, that's okay, but I just, I'm just curious whether there was. You know there was Chance, but did you have anybody else there for you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, mom and I were pretty close. High school years were challenging but, um, you know, we got closer and closer as I got older and and the dramatic like our lifestyles changed and and we've been working as a team ever since. But there was Jerry, who is a part of my story and was actually my adopted dad had been there to help me through some of my harder years as I grew up and and with circumstances and stuff, and his mom still still keeps me under her wing and we go to visit her in Seattle all the time.
Speaker 1:so it's it's pretty amazing that is amazing, that that's um. When I just really want to encourage you all to read Tamara's story, because it is amazing, it's. It's just a journey of love and and um, and love of people and love of animals and just a girl being able to get out there and do her thing and then, of course, tragedy striking but, but being able to come out of that as well. Yeah, it's, it's just, it's such a good, such a good story. So what advice would you give to a woman who might be feeling broken?
Speaker 2:Just to find your person and your person or your animal that you can talk with and try and navigate through some of your emotions at the time, so that you're not burying them deep down and hiding them away from everybody just because you have to, just because you have to carry on. There needs to be that moment that you can let go and have a shoulder to lean on or someone that you trust that you can help, that can help you just sort through your emotions, get things put in order for you a bit. Um, for me chance was my shoulder many, many, many times, no matter what was going on.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, yeah, I think that's. That's just so true, Because we all need somebody. Yeah, we all need somebody out there. That's just accepts us the way we are and non judgmental, and really isn't that the thing about animals. Yeah, absolutely they don't care if we're tall and skinny or short and fat, or old or beautiful or whatever we've experienced in the world. They still love us. Doesn't matter, there's no judgment what we've done in our past or haven't done in our past, they just yeah, they're just unconditional love.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and they just listen, no matter what. There's no trying to solve your problems for you, they just listen, and that's huge.
Speaker 1:It is huge, Absolutely, yeah. Well, let me ask you what's next for you in writing? Healing life, Are you anything?
Speaker 2:any plans now that you've sort of got a taste of writing and we talked about you know, maybe I'll have to write another story. We were talking about my mom and how she has a bit of a sticky finger now that she has Alzheimer's, so maybe we'll have a sticky finger bandit story and the adventures that she gets herself into navigating her new section of life.
Speaker 1:Oh, my goodness that would be an amazing book. Oh, my goodness, love it. I love that, love that idea. There's yeah, you know, we need to tell our deepest, darkest stories, and certainly that can be true, especially for some people that have a lot of those really deep dark stories that they feel that they need to tell. But there's also beautiful stories that we can tell. I always tell if I get somebody, a potential writer, and they're like oh well, you know, maybe the story they wanted to tell was just they weren't ready for that. And so I say to them well, it doesn't have to be that dark, let's tell a lighter story, let's just get your feet wet. And sometimes at that point they tend to be a bit fearful and they walk away. But I love that you said that, because that would be such a beautiful story.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we've got to find humor. No matter how hard this chapter in our lives are, we got to find the humor in it. And mom still has some good giggles of things that she's doing, no matter how silly or what we're doing.
Speaker 1:She finds some giggles. I love it. I love it. Well, I will look forward to that. I think that's beautiful. So is there any message that you would want all the readers who pick up this book to have? What message would you want to relay to them?
Speaker 2:to have. What message would you want to relay to them? Just I think I would hope that they would find some courage to be able to share, to be able to just allow their story to come out, and that it's okay to share, it's okay to be vulnerable with that story, because you can find healing with sharing it and you can find some peace with and have some weight lifted off of you. If you can share your story, no matter how much or how little you want to share, every little bit will, will help you get through oh, thank you for that.
Speaker 1:It's your. You just hit the nail on the head for sure. And the other thing is is that they don't have to put it in a book out to the world, Absolutely. Yeah, you can journal those kinds of things, but if you want to put it out to the world, well then it's out there. Yeah, then it's there, Then it's out there. And there's a healing in that as well. Yeah, there's a healing in that as well.
Speaker 1:A lot of times I'll get during our book launches, I'll get some of our ladies who panic a little bit and then I say, well, you know you're in the book, so I can't remove you from the book, but I cannot talk about you and those kinds of things. And then, and then they think about it and then they say you know what this is, yeah, I, by not by turning and saying no, I don't want to put it out there after I've written. It is another way of just hiding. Yeah, for our purpose. But for people sitting at home that just maybe journal or start to think, well, maybe I'll just start to play with this a little bit.
Speaker 1:It can be very healing without putting it out to 8 billion people to read, and wouldn't that be fun if 8 billion people read our books, Wouldn't it? Wouldn't that be amazing? That would be amazing. That would be amazing. Well, Tamara, I have just loved this conversation we've had and I have just so much appreciation for you to be able to write that story. And what I got from your story was a new appreciation for people and their pets, people and their animals, and even as I was reading your story as we were going through the process, I even started looking at my animals a little bit differently. Story as we were going through the process.
Speaker 1:I even started looking at my animals a little bit differently, and yeah, and so you know, that's just one little thing that I got, that I got out of it and I think that you know it's. It's just a really enlightening story and I hope that I hope everybody will pick it up just because they want to read your story.
Speaker 2:Oh wonderful, I hope so too. My goal is at least a couple hundred from my workplace. I'm hoping that would be so lovely, that's right, that's lovely.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, again, tamara, thank you so much for being here. There's a book coming out on that date. If you're watching this after that date, well, tamara's story is in Beautiful, broken and Becoming, and you can get it on Amazon, and we just want to thank you so much for being here and I appreciate it, so thanks again, tamara, thank you so much for having me, and I look forward to seeing our book out in the store perfect bye-bye for now all right.