Pinjarra woman's mental health recovery inspires Coastrek challenge for Beyond Blue

Ms Bowen said her birth was stressful, as her baby was born premature and had to stay in the neonatal unit at King Edward Memorial Hospital for a month after.

Her own mother passed away in 1996 when she was in her early 20's, and she didn't have an older maternal figure to guide her through the uncertainties of being a first time parent.

On top of that, she suffered from post-natal depression.

Ms Bowen said she didn't know she had already suffered from depression following the death of her mother, but the repercussions of the incident a decade prior worsened her anxiety around being a good mum.

"When mum died, life just stopped," Ms Bowen said.

"I didn't really understand what anxiety was back then."

Fortunately, Ms Bowen was supported by the hospital's mother and baby unit. The facility supports women at risk or suffering from mental health issues, and helps build confidence by teaching new mums practical skills such as calming, feeding and putting the baby to sleep.

Ms Bowen said learning mindfulness and meditation in the unit was huge in her recovery.

"We would go on walks with the babies to look at the birds and smell the flowers and so on, and doing that with other mums was good for developing friendships."

She now has two daughters in their early teens.

"They're at an age where they're learning about anxiety and getting out of their comfort zones.

"Our household has taken a shift in thinking, where you're going to have that little voice in your head that says you can't do something, but you have to stop listening to it."

At age 46 Ms Bowen realised she needed to change up her lifestyle, and so she took on kickboxing.

She was never sporty when she was younger, but after a friend introduced her to the welcoming and non-judgmental environment of a local kickboxing club, she was hooked.

"At the time I couldn't even do four push-ups, but they were just so encouraging. It didn't matter your age or fitness level.

"The endorphins just made me feel so good about myself."

Now her love of being active will see her taking on a new challenge.

Coastrek is a walking challenge that encourages women to walk in teams and raise money for Beyond Blue.

This year, the 35km walk is from Hamelin Bay to Prevelly, and will be held on October 28.

Ms Bowen is walking with her team of friends, together known as Beauties and the Beach.

"They've been very supportive over the years.

"We love to get out and walk in nature, so we wanted to take it one step further and make it a challenge," she said.

To support Beauties and the Beach, click here.