WHEN Jennyfer Rowley was 23, her mother was diagnosed with cancer, and died only three months later.

This harrowing family tragedy had a profound effect on the young woman, who realised there was more to life than

work.

Five years later, her own near-death experience galvanised her belief that family is everything.

"If it hadn't completely sunk in after Mum's passing, the accident certainly did it,” Mrs Rowley said.

"Before that career and family were split 50/50 in my mind, but from that moment on, family became my main focus.”

To the 28-year-old horse lover, it was just another ride, albeit this time on an unfamiliar horse.

"It was something I did every day and was going fine until this horse put its head down and started to buck,” she said.

"It didn't stop. It was like I was in the rodeo ring. holding on for dear life.

"Eventually I was thrown into a fence and one of the posts split, impaling me through my side.”

Mrs Rowley suffered a punctured lung, broken vertebrae, broken ribs and extensive damage to her shoulder but amazingly the fence post missed all major organs.

Airlifted to Toowoomba, Mrs Rowley was taken straight to the intensive care unit and given the severity of her injuries, the effects of the anaesthetic and breathing concerns due to the punctured lung, she was given a fivepercent chance of survival as doctors worked to remove the post from her

body.

A week and half later, after a fortuitous recovery, Mrs Rowley was well enough to return home to Warwick.

Six weeks later she was back on her horses, but never anyone else's since that day.

Born in Germany in the early 1980s, Mrs Rowley moved to Australia with her parents and older brother in 1984.

"They had chosen Australia as the place they wanted to live and raise their family quite some time earlier,” Mrs Rowley said.

"And in preparation they gave both my brother and I anglicised names to make our transition to Australian life easier.

"They called my brother Daniel and me Jennifer, however it wasn't until years later when I was about to start school in Australia that they noticed my birth certificate read 'Jennyfer'.

"They'd never noticed, the spelling was down to a clerical error back at the hospital in Germany when I was born: Jennifer isn't a very common name there and I guess who ever wrote it down thought they had it right.”

Completing her schooling in Beaudesert, Mrs Rowley found work in a law firm in Brisbane immediately after finishing Year 12.

Within four years, she was managing an office for the same firm on the Gold Coast.

"That's where my leadership journey began,” she said.

"My mum told me to aim high so I did.

"In 2006, I moved to Warwick, to take advantage of cheaper property prices and fell in love with the town.”

Shortly after, her mother fell ill and endured countless surgeries before calling time on treatment.

"She told me she had no regrets,” Mrs Rowley said.

"When she said that I thought that's where I wanted to be, to not take anything for granted. That was her legacy, she taught me so much in that one moment.

"She was my best friend and to lose her was heartbreaking but I saw all her strength, poise and grace in those last times.

"She was a beautiful woman.”

Today Mrs Rowley is the manager of Warwick's Heritage Bank, a position she relishes.

"This position has allowed me to fulfil some career aspirations and undertake further study all with the chance to give my family the time we want and need.”

Along with husband Dan, the couple's blended family brings with it five children, three that still live at home.

Last weekend Mrs Rowley tackled the Pentath-run half marathon, a big first for her.

"It's been a big six months for me,” she said.

"The training, fitness, health and fun combined with weight loss has been life-changing as well. Back when I started I couldn't run 50 metres, so 21km was a major milestone and I've already pencilled in another four half marathon events this year.

Mrs Rowley said she couldn't have done it without the support of her husband.

"He's my rock and my soul mate,” she said.

"His support meant so much, it helped me enormously.”