How Kilkivan teacher overcame husband’s death to honour his memory

In a newly released book narrated by her 18-year-old son, a Kilkivan teacher explores the topics surrounding her husband’s death and how a seven-day motorbike trip became her therapy.

Amelia Olsen's new book Dirt and Dust explores the topics surrounding her husband's death and how a seven-day motorbike trip became her therapy.Â

A schoolteacher from Kilkivan, a small town west of Gympie, suddenly became a single mother of two when her partner took his own life in 2015.

The years that followed that heartbreaking loss have been described by Amelia Olsen as the most “turbulent” time in her life.

Despite her family’s struggles, Ms Olsen has been able to honour her late husband and hopes to uplift others by writing a book narrated by her 18-year-old son.

“During the Christmas holidays of 2020, I conversed with Riley over video conference calls while he was working out in the middle of the desert,” Ms Olsen said.

“Every afternoon I would read him what I had written and make sure that I captured his perspective, thoughts and feelings about what had happened with his dad and we got the story straight.

“I think that was good for both of us.”

Amelia Olsen's new book Dirt and Dust explores the topics surrounding her husband's death and how a seven-day motorbike trip became her therapy.

The book, Dirt and Dust, explores both Ms Olsen’s hilarious struggle to complete the physical challenges of a seven-day motorbike adventure from Cairns to Cape York, along with Riley’s attempt to comprehend the loss of his father.

“It actually became funny because I was hilariously hopeless on that motorbike and I embarrassed the hell out of him ... I think I fell off 14 times in 1400 km,” she said.

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“The purpose of the book is to touch on the topics that led to my husband's suicide and I hope they are thought provoking and conversation starters for other people.”

Ms Olsen said it was important for the messages in the book to be delivered in a way that would allow the tough topic to be easily read by people from all walks of life.

In a newly released book narrated by her 18-year-old son, a Kilkivan teacher explores the topics surrounding her husband’s death and how a seven-day motorbike trip became her therapy.

“I hope it ‘normalises’ the mess we were in after such a turbulent time,” she said.

“I never want my kids or anyone else left behind after a loved one's suicide to feel blame, guilt, abandonment or rejection because I’ve spent years trying to rationalise an irrational person’s final choice about life.

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“I want people to get the help that they need ... if they can’t do it for themselves, I want them to do it for their family.”

Ms Olsen never planned on being a published author but said it was a “huge achievement” for her story to be able to be read and felt by others.

Amelia Olsen's new book Dirt and Dust explores the topics surrounding her husband's death and how a seven-day motorbike trip became her therapy.

“It’s a bit nerve wracking knowing people are about to find out a whole lot more about our personal circumstances and they may not appreciate some of the language in the book, but losing someone to suicide and riding a dirt bike through rivers, sand and rainforest to crisscross the northern peninsula, for a week to process it all, is not a gentle process,” she said.

Dirt and Dust is available at Wimberley & Co in Goomeri, on Amazon, Booktopia and also on Ms Olsen’s website.

Next in the pipeline for Ms Olsen is a children’s picture book about grief and legendary kindness, narrated by her younger daughter Jacinta.

Originally published as How Kilkivan teacher overcame husband’s death to honour his memory