Winona’s childhood was chaotic, to put it mildly. When she was six and her biological parents split, her father all but disappeared from the picture, while her mother quickly entered a new relationship and had more kids, bringing the total up to eight.
This was a childhood home defined by dysfunction—by stress, irresponsibility, screaming, and even verbal abuse.
“I have a lot of love for my mum…” starts Winona “but I think the trauma from her own childhood —like she was adopted and didn’t have much of a relationship with any of her parent figures— came out in the way she mothered.”
As the eldest, Winona became that parent figure to both her biological and step siblings, shouldering responsibilities far beyond her years.
But as is often the case with kids raised in unhealthy environments, it wasn’t much later that she realised that none of this was normal.
Breaking Away
When Winona eventually moved out of the family home, a wave of intense guilt followed close behind. She felt as if she was abandoning her siblings, but if she was going to survive, she desperately needed to carve out some kind of life for herself.
And that’s exactly what she did. She made friends, furthered her education, and met a boy named Joel. Together, they built a relationship on foundations she’d rarely experienced - trust, respect, and mutual support.
Five years in, while the pair were still revelling in the partying phase of their youth, Winona's world was turned upside down.
The girl who was forced to grow up too soon —who had finally moved on from the role of premature parent figure and settled into young adulthood— fell pregnant.
Seachanges
Pregnancy hit Winona like a tonne of bricks, and abortion seemed the only practical solution. She and Joel had discussed having kids, but not until they were properly set up for it. Yet, as she felt life growing inside her, her desires shifted.
His didn’t. A crack in their relationship formed, widening into a gulf. The more he pulled away, the more heartbroken she became. The stalemate continued until she poured her heart into a raw, heartfelt letter.
Reading it pushed Joel to seek counsel from his parents, who, to his surprise and relief, were overjoyed at the thought of becoming grandparents. With their support, he and Winona moved forward with the pregnancy, healing their bond as they journeyed toward the due date.
Who the heck am I?
Birth and becoming a mother was “a great adventure”, but Winona had to first figure out what kind of mum she wanted to be. She wasn’t exactly pooling inspiration from her childhood, except as a yardstick of what NOT to do.
Over time, she had a series of realisations.
She realised that children just want a parent to be present, and to feel connected. She realised that the most valuable thing a mum can give a child is her time. And thanks to a powerful motherly instinct she once feared would never appear, she realised that she would do anything to give her child what her mother didn’t - or perhaps couldn’t.
Winona has since created a wonderful life for her (two!) children. She openly acknowledges her flaws, embraces the ongoing learning curve of motherhood, and believes that’s exactly how it should be. Occasionally, she even catches herself saying things that could have come straight from her mother’s mouth—but now, she recognises them in time to course-correct.
"Children don’t want us to be perfect. They want to see us in our humanness. They just want our love.”
SuperHuman Habits
Trauma is a strange thing. For younger Winona, it manifested as body image issues and disordered eating, which took a heavy toll on her state of mind.
Motherhood empowered her to take charge of her health, shifting towards natural living - to yoga, meditation, healthy food, herbal medicine. And yes, to SuperFeast.
These days, she takes I am Gaia (her all-time favourite) and Tremella daily, a couple of hours after a very-early breakfast. She mixes both into a rich smoothie that includes protein powder, colostrum, blueberries, and banana.
When asked what being a SuperHuman means to her, she says:
“Showing up in this world, in your full authenticity and full, truthful self expression.”
And that is exactly what Winona is doing, every single day.
Browse Winona’s Instagram here.
Shop Winona's SuperHuman Habits collection here.
