About Joanne McConville
- The Author -
Joanne McConville is a healthcare professional from a nursing background, with over 30 years of experience in the UK’s National Health Service, Private Sector and Civil Service.
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However, it was a passion for skydiving born out of a desire to help her son that led to a skydiving accident & extreme trauma over 25 years ago that many thought she wouldn’t, couldn’t or even shouldn’t survive.
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Married to her skydiving instructor, Joe, for the past 25 years they have five children, grandchildren and a home together close to the beautiful Lough Neagh in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
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By telling her inspirational personal story combined with work and life experiences Joanne provides inspirational speaking on topics such as; resilience, adaptability, trauma, learning from near-death experiences, leadership and her take on how to thrive from difficult times and become the best person you can be, in all areas of your life.
So now I am an Author
“My Piece of Sky” has brought me down a new lifepath to explore and I’m so excited to see where it goes.
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I would never have thought I would finally write a book and become a public speaker. I always put off following this dream to turn my jumble of memories and an old diary into a story, stalled for so many reasons; a hectic life where work took over, family life and maybe a lack of confidence to take on such a daunting task at all.
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Writing this book was such a rough ride, with highs and lows, new discoveries, uncovering memories and feelings that I thought were hidden for good. I have been so fortunate to be able to stop, finally evaluate my life, explore how the impact of the accident, and its aftermath, moulded my thoughts and look at what I learned in the process.
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I am not an “expert” on Trauma, or Near-Death Experiences, so I was never going to write a text or self-help book or tell the reader what to do, or how they should feel. But, because this happened to me, I know it is possible to pick up the pieces, travel down a new path, whatever that looks like, full of love, laughter, endless possibilities, and to build resilience to overcome anything the future holds.
Joanne McConville (published author), My Piece of Sky
“… I returned to the site of the accident, when the story was told, with more understanding, insight and acceptance than I had ever hoped for. Writing it was a rough ride with highs and lows, new discoveries, uncovered memories and feelings that I thought were hidden for good, but there was one thing that I needed to do. I needed to leave something behind this time to close the circle, a letter for my 27 year old self, so I went to the spot where I had landed, left it there and walked away for the last time…”
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Joanne McConville, My Piece of Sky