‘Autism is just a part of me’: Girl, 16, breaks silence

Crippling depression brought on by bullies and one burning question, overshadowed Kristen Meek’s life until she found boxing.

FIGHT: Kristen Meek kept her autism a secret for fear of bullying. Photo: Katrina Elizabeth Photography

CRIPPLING depression and anxiety brought on by bullies and one burning question, overshadowed 16-year-old Kristen Meek’s life until boxing put her back on track.

The Nambour resident struggled with severe depression and anxiety from a young age before last year when her question as to why she was so different was answered with an autism diagnosis.

“Growing up was so hard for me, I didn’t know why I was so different to everyone else,” Kristen said.

“Mum always knew that I was different, but I was diagnosed with dyslexia at seven and she thought that was it.”

Having already experienced the raff of bullies, Kristen said she was terrified to hear her diagnosis and kept it a secret.

“When I saw that I had autism I cried because I was like who would want to hang out with an autistic child.

“Because people that are more on the spectrum, they get bullied a lot and it was implanted in my head that it was a bad thing to have.

“I wasn’t educated on it and I thought it just meant retarded, or stupid and I was scared.

“It’s the first time I’ve spoken about it and I’m scared because I don’t want people to get the wrong impression about me.”

After escaping an ongoing domestic violence situation, Kristen and her mother Dee Meek moved to Nambour and became a part of the Oneheart Boxing Academy where she trains six times a week.

“Boxing sort of grabbed a hold of my life – it’s pretty much my whole life right now,” she said.

“It brings me happiness, it’s so cheesy, but it does, it’s a sport that I can relate to.

“I’ve gotten more confident with boxing by using the tools I’ve learnt. I’m kind of out there now, before I would change myself to be normal and it didn’t work.”

Oneheart Training Academy founder Charlie Wetere said Kristen had made an incredible transformation.

“I can’t even remember that girl. She used to hide in a hood and that’s how I remember her coming in,” he said.

“I’ve learnt to focus on the girl we have today because it has taken a lot of courage to get where her and her mum are.”

Mr Wetere said the Nambour High student was “totally out of her comfort zone” when she started but is now unstoppable.

“Now I’ve got her teaching and she glows when she is teaching, she doesn’t realise it, but she is in a really happy place,” he said.

“She has got something that they have never had in life before and they can pass it on.”

Kristen said if it wasn’t for boxing, she would be in a very dark place.

“It was a depressing time for me, and it was really difficult. I had no motivation to do anything and without boxing I guess I would be in the same place,” she said.

“I would go to school, go home and sleep – I would just sleep all the time.”

With her new-found courage, Kristen wanted to change the beliefs behind autism.

“I know it first hand. I thought that people on the spectrum were stupid or dumb, but I want people to know that it’s not like that at all, and it’s a wrong perception to have,” she said.

“Autism isn’t me, it’s just a part of me.”