SBS turns 50 in 2025 and so do lots of of 1000’s of Australians. Perception asks — is popping 50 a giant deal? From mid-life crises to menopause, discovering undiscovered relations and beginning afresh, watch Perception episode Turning 50 Tuesday 10 June at 8.30PM on SBS or reside on SBS On Demand.
Perimenopause hit Justine Christerson onerous six months earlier than she turned 50. It adopted a serious accident the place, throughout a contest, a BMX rider ran off observe and straight into Justine — leaving her bed-bound for 16 weeks with a damaged sacrum (the big triangular bone that stabilises the pelvis).
With fixed ache, sizzling flushes, temper swings and uncontrollable outbursts, Justine empathises together with her husband.
“You’ve got bought a accomplice questioning: ‘who is that this individual’? What is going on on?’ Justine informed Perception.
“And if they aren’t understanding and supportive … it might be a really explosive state of affairs”.
“For me, turning 50 was emotions, feelings and questioning who I used to be, and the place I’m with my life — and coping with my aggression [brought on by perimenopause] that was internally combusting,” she stated.
Now 51, Justine remains to be utilizing a strolling stick due to her accident. She recognises a few of her ache is expounded to her accident, however some is expounded to the levels of menopause.
She needs extra individuals to recognise that you just’re not going loopy when perimenopause signs kick in round her age.
‘I am nearly 50 — I do not care anymore’
Like Justine, turning 50 introduced challenges for Sarah Hennesey.
She believed that by the point she turned 50, she could be residing on a giant nation property together with her lawyer husband and 7 kids — working the native Nation Ladies’s Affiliation and baking scones.
None of these issues occurred.
Sarah and her husband separated when she was 42; she says that life within the eight years since has been “the other way up, inside out”.
“The home needed to be offered [during the separation],” Sarah stated. “We had been working for a very long time however for varied causes there wasn’t a lot to point out for it.”
For years, she had been working in extremely paid, high-stress jobs and says she had relied too closely on alcohol.
Sarah has based her personal enterprise instructing individuals the best way to make non-alcoholic drinks. Supply: Equipped
Getting sober in her late 40s introduced nice readability for Sarah. So, when she misplaced her job at age 49, she selected to take an opportunity on her inventive ardour.
“I assumed: ‘you already know what, I am nearly 50. I do not care anymore’,” Sarah stated. “I’ve this deeper sense that issues can be okay, and to not assume that I can management every part.
“I’ve discovered the onerous approach so many occasions that I can not…”
After enrolling in a enterprise course, Sarah began her personal enterprise catering occasions and instructing individuals the best way to make mocktails and non-alcoholic drinks.
“I made the choice to get my enterprise up and working earlier than my fiftieth as a result of on this new vital chunk in my life, I knew that issues wanted to be completely different”.
Not slowing down
Not like Sarah, Matt Craig will not be taking a look at modifying elements of his life anytime quickly.
When requested whether or not he is having a mid-life disaster in any respect, Matt informed Perception that “if shopping for cool shit, cool automobiles is a mirrored image of a midlife disaster, f—, I hope I’ve them repeatedly”.
A Gold Coast development supervisor with a penchant for amassing automobiles and attending bush doofs (digital dance festivals in distant places), Matt hasn’t slowed down since turning 50.
“Fifty-year-old hangovers are actually completely different from youthful ones,” Matt stated.
“However aside from that … simply hold it sturdy. Maintain it actual and hold charging”.
Though main a quick and vibrant life-style that makes him really feel nearer to 35, there may be one space of Matt’s life the place he admits to needing somewhat assist … the bed room.
“You want to ensure the previous fella offers an excellent exhibiting, however you’ve got simply bought to get it proper with the timing and ensure you set the temper — in any other case, you are left with a tough downside.”
Matt says he feels extra like 35 than 50.
‘It is now time to bloom’
Like Mike, Tania Segura loves being 50.
A secondary instructor by day and dance teacher by night time, Tania says her 40s have been higher than her 30s and her 30s have been higher than her 20s, so she will solely think about how nice her 50s are going to be.
“I am discovering that now there’s area for pleasure,” Tania stated.
“To put on a cute gown or use the great China … I feel life is for residing and I am right here for it.”
Discovering the area to attempt new issues, Tania not too long ago entered an Instagram competitors and gained a photoshoot. She is now signed to a expertise and casting company, which is one thing she couldn’t have imagined doing when she was youthful.
“Generally, individuals count on 50, to be previous and to be missing vitality,” Tania stated.
“I am nonetheless working and I am nonetheless dancing … I am not in an armchair, crocheting with a cup of tea.
“I feel we have had 50 years to place crops on this backyard, and it is now time to bloom.”
Equally to Tania, Sarah appears like now’s the time to forge new paths, and says she now has “laser sharp focus”.
“No extra mucking round — I am not going to get one other 50 years,” Sarah stated.
“It is on the downhill slide and I do not see that as a foul factor; I see it as giving the present of readability.”
Nevertheless, for Justine, this midlife level has not been fairly the time she hoped for and is keen to be on the opposite aspect of it.
When Perception requested her what she was trying ahead to sooner or later, it was “not being 50” and “not having menopause”.
“I am actually trying ahead to the day I flip round and say, ‘what was all that about’?”
