For any child growing up, anything is possible. We were poor growing up and you had to work hard and make it happen for yourself.
There was an interview with me when I was nine years old. They showed it on the local news and I said: 'I want to win the Melbourne Cup.' My friends used to tease me and make fun of what I said. So, yeah, it was pretty funny I did win it in the end.
Everybody gets caught up in everything, but at the end of the day we're all just here for a short time, so we may as well enjoy it.
For three months I was brain damaged. I couldn't think like before and I was so scared. I didn't know if I could go on living like that. But it helped that the doctors told me I'd get better and your brain is amazing. It can recover.
It's a tough world but female jockeys have been successful so many times that hopefully the perception of riding against the boys will change and we will gain more opportunities.
I do believe my mum looks after me, and I feel so much faith thinking that she is riding with me and is with me in everyday life, whenever I need her.
It's not all about strength, there is so much more involved, getting the horse into a rhythm, getting the horse to try for you, it's being patient and I'm so glad to win Melbourne Cup and hopefully, it will help female jockeys from now on to get more of a go.
My sisters and brothers come up a fair bit for dinner at home. It's basically a normal life; a normal family home. Dad cooks and we also take turns. If it's my turn, I like to do a roast lamb or spaghetti bolognaise.
Racing is a funny industry. One week you can be going terrible and the next week you're on top of the world. So you just keep showing up: I keep working harder to get more opportunities, but what do you do - that's life.
I would like to thank all of the owners, John Richards specifically, I think he is the main man who kept me on Prince Of Penzance, maybe a few of them who wanted to take me off.
I used to say to myself when I was seven years old that I couldn't wait to get older so I could make money and buy my own clothes. I had a lot of sisters, so as we got older the hand-me-downs got better, but it wasn't until I was about 15 that I was able to buy my own stuff.