Tamina walks tall in life and business
Tenacity, resilience and business smarts sum up Red Cliffs’ Tamina Bettess.
Starting a small business mid-Covid, continuing to work a second job and setting critical time aside to build her strength to combat the impacts of spina bifida, have all been challenges Tamina has met with much success.
But it was her most cherished goal of walking down the aisle that become a reality in September last year when she married her husband Peter.
It has all been made possible through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) providing Tamina with the supports to undertake exercise and strength training. As a goal-orientated individual, Tamina has pushed herself to meet all her exercise requirements which have dramatically improved her quality of life … and provided the treasured joy of walking down the aisle.
“Through the support of NDIS, it has allowed me to be a better person for the people in my life. I have been able to do more things physically and mentally, I have built up my strength so I can work more hours, have greater social contact with family and friends and importantly I can support my husband in what he does because of the NDIS,” Tamina said.
And it is not just a marriage partnership that Tamina boasts with Peter, the couple run and operate Geo Origins Coffee Roasters – a café located at Red Cliffs in Victoria’s west.
Peter has spent more than a decade roasting coffee beans and the café is a local institution.
“Red Cliffs knows when we are roasting, the smell resonates across the town, it really is amazing,” Tamina said.
Like life, Tamina and Peter have embraced the challenges of owning and running a small business – one they established in the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We started out as a grab and go and we have built the business from there,” Tamina said.
“It has all been made possible through our great staff, Casey, Billie, Tyler and Renae, and Peter has done a mountain of work in encouraging local coffee shops to use our beans – we have really grown a rapport with our customers.”
Tamina is supported through Mildura Intereach and self manages her NDIS funding.
“I am a big supporter of the NDIS app, it is so easy to use, being self-managed I also enjoy the flexibility with that,” she said.
Tamina and Peter share three children and while life and living continue to be hectic, Tamina would not have it any other way.
“The NDIS has made a real difference for our lives.”
For those living in or travelling to the Mildura region, Geo Origins Café can be found at 13 Jacaranda Street, Red Cliffs.
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