September 11, 2001. A day that forever changed the world and left an indelible mark on countless lives, including ours. My husband and I lived just a few blocks away from the Twin Towers when the terrorist attacks on the former World Trade Centre unfolded.

The image above captures the moment after the second plane’s impact. We were peering out our window, hearing a whooshing noise, only to look up and see the underbelly of the second plane.

With only the clothes on our backs, we joined the masses fleeing from the burning Towers as the South Tower collapsed. Amidst the chaos and confusion, visibility was lost, but we knew we had to run. We found ourselves at one of our local Battery Park restaurants, a popular spot for tourists. Covered in smoke, soot, and dust, we huddled and prayed.

Nearby was a French couple with their baby, who cried and struggled to breathe. We used a patio umbrella to shield the infant from the smoke and dust, but it offered limited protection. We broke into the restaurant’s kitchen, soaked towels in water, and used them to cover our faces and help the couple protect their baby. We also distributed water-soaked towels to other people huddling nearby. Some mistook us for off-duty first responders, but we were simply determined individuals trying to help.

We were ferried across the Hudson River and decontaminated in Jersey City later that day. As we looked back at the city we knew and loved, it was now a place of immeasurable grief and loss.

In the aftermath of this tragedy, we mourned the lives lost and honoured the heroes who risked everything to save others. We confronted a new reality, one that demanded heightened vigilance and enhanced security measures to protect our cities, our countries, and our world. We questioned how this tragedy could have been prevented and what measures could have saved lives.

With the reality of ever-present threats to human safety, ranging from cybersecurity and human rights abuses at the global level, to mass shootings, workplace violence, and industrial hazards locally, it has become increasingly clear that we must all play a part in ensuring our individual and collective well-being. My diverse background and life experiences have equipped me with unique insights and skills that I dedicate to this cause.

My experience as a former young principal in London’s West End allowed me to develop a keen sense of pattern recognition identifying threats to my own safety. As a trained martial artist, I possess the physical capabilities to confront challenges. However, I firmly believe in the power of nonviolent solutions. This belief was put to the test when an unsettling series of events unfolded in my hometown of Sydney during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While my husband was delayed due to border closures, I courageously faced a year-long ordeal involving a security guard from a coworking business in the North Sydney area who engaged in stalking, harassment, and intimidation, attempting to exploit his workplace as a shield for his actions. The combination of aggression and ignorance displayed by the guard only strengthened my resolve to find nonviolent solutions, with emphasis on the importance of ethics and accountability. It was during this challenging period that I decided to leverage my unique skill set and create a solution that could empower others facing similar situations.

Drawing upon my experience as a young performer, I was able to recognise the patterns of stalking that persisted throughout the ordeal. Despite my persistent efforts in contacting the police and reporting these incidents to the coworking business, emphasising that violence against women is unacceptable, the situation continued. Both in-person and online incidents accumulated, with the security company owner attempting to intimidate my husband and me through his actions. Undeterred by these challenges, I recognised the need for admissible evidence that demonstrates deviations from standard operating procedures, however subtle they may be.

Harnessing my diverse background, which encompasses the arts and technical problem-solving, I channelled my expertise and resilience into developing Armatec Global’s technology platform. This powerful tool empowers individuals and organisations, promotes safety, and serves as a testament to the strength of perseverance in the face of adversity. The platform embodies my commitment to nonviolence and the importance of addressing complex challenges with a multifaceted approach that combines both intuitive thinking and systematic analysis.

I stand resolute in my mission for a safer world, as no one should ever have to live in fear for their safety.