How

 

Nicole

 

Clark-Darby

 

made

 

room

 

for

 

honest

 

conversations

 

about

 

resilience

2025 WINNER · Rise Above

Nicole Clark-Darby’s Beauty of Brokenness story explored resilience without presenting it as a perfect recovery or a finished journey. Her 2025 entry described the value of openness, connection and finding meaning through difficult experiences.

What they did

The kintsugi metaphor—the repair of something broken without hiding its history—provided a way to speak about human experience. Nicole brought that perspective into conversations about identity, work and the support people need around them.

Her account connected personal reflection with a return to professional life and a willingness to speak honestly about change. The emphasis was on continuing to live and connect, rather than meeting an idealised picture of strength.

What the entry shows

The submission was a personal narrative. Its evidence lay in the account of experience and action, rather than programme participation figures or measured outcomes.

It should be understood on those terms: a story of lived experience and the conversations it can open, not a model of recovery that everyone is expected to follow.

What others can learn

Resilience stories can create connection when they leave room for complexity. People may find value in hearing that progress can coexist with difficulty.

Nicole’s example invites a more compassionate conversation about what it means to keep going, while recognising that every person’s circumstances and support needs are different.

Based on the original 2025 mentl awards submission. Figures and observations are those reported in the entry.

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