Her life motto's a real winner
TAMMY Meyer has a personal motto which she lives by and that's 'Don't dream. Just do it'.
At 35 Tammy has achieved more than most people.
She is an award-winning chef and co-owner of her own catering business.
And she has travelled the sports world as a member of the famous "Fanatics".
A champion athlete as a teenager, she has since been to the US Open, the Davis Cup, the Australian Open, the Sydney Olympics and many more sports events.
Tammy grew up in Kingaroy and was a champion school athlete, competing in the 100m, 200m, long jump and triple jump.
"I won lots of gold, silver and bronze medals at track events," she said.
"As a 15 and 16-year-old I had a lot of potential.
"I won several Sport Star awards in Kingaroy and I've still got a wall full of medals and trophies.
"But both my knees gave way and I had to give it up.
"I used to compete against a lot of top athletes and many of them made it to the Sydney Olympics.
"I went, but as a spectator, and supported them all."
Tammy left school at the end of Year 12 and started a chef's apprenticeship straight away on the Sunshine Coast.
"I worked at Murphy's on the Wharf at Mooloolaba and I worked at several surf clubs.
"I worked for Mal Meninga's brother, Cameron, at the Mooloolaba surf club and now he's the manager."
She won two Apprentice of the Year titles on the Sunshine Coast.
After moving to Mackay in December 1996 she worked on Brampton Island for seven months and finished her apprenticeship at the old Mater hospital in Sydney St.
"My old boss at the Mater was Denis Newnham... he regularly comes to the Aero Club to have Friday night dinner."
Tammy, backed by her mother, Fay Dunstan, has operated the Faerie Lass Functions catering service out of the Aero Club in Casey Ave for about nine years.
Outside catering is also done and Tammy says she has been able to work miracles in some people's backyards.
She also catered for QME in 2006.
About 11 years ago Tammy decided to tour around Australia for 12 months, but the travelling kept her two and a half years on the road.
She went to the 1999 US Open as a member of the Fanatics and was photographed in a major US newspaper. She's even had her picture on the back page of the Sun-Herald in Melbourne as a Fanatic.
"I'm a sports tragic really," she said.
"I'm proud about being an Australian."
Tammy lives with her husband of almost five years John (known to his mates as Bones) at The Leap. She is president of The Leap-Yakapari District Development Association.
She also is president of the Seaview branch of the Lions Club and is a volunteer transport co-ordinator for the Kidney Support Network.
Right now she is organising a Lions team for the Relay for Life.
If she writes a book about her life one day, Tammy says the title will be her motto: Don't dream. Just do it.
Her next trip being planned is a visit to Gallipoli in 2015, for the 100th anniversary of the ANZAC landing.
Tammy and husband have already got their names on the Gallipoli waiting list.
That will be another great achievement for this high achiever.
