By HTE Founder, Erin Hughes
After heartbreak, bullying, grief and losing her sister Georgia, Alex Faggerty rebuilt her life from the inside out, and created YOU By Alex to help other women do the same.
“Who am I at 51? I am Alex. I am the person I always dreamt of being. Content, happy and free.”
It’s not the answer you’d necessarily expect from someone who has experienced so much heartbreak, loss and reinvention.
But perhaps that’s exactly why Alex Faggerty says it with such certainty.
At 51, she has lived many lives. Model. Mother. Businesswoman. Wife. Wellness practitioner.
From walking catwalks alongside Naomi Campbell to building a thriving wellness business on the Mornington Peninsula, Alex has spent decades navigating both the extraordinary and the deeply ordinary moments of life. The glamorous highs, the painful lows and everything in between.
And while the outside world often saw success, opportunity and confidence, behind closed doors there were chapters that would challenge her in ways she never imagined.
“Life has always felt like a journey to me,” Alex says.
“There have been incredible highs and some very challenging lows. Through it all, I’ve always believed it was all part of the journey.”
Growing up in Melbourne, she found herself surrounded by celebrities, fashion and hospitality. Modelling opened doors to exciting opportunities, but it never became her identity.
“Modelling was the fun part,” she says. “Hospitality was the real job and I absolutely loved it.”
Despite the world she moved through, her mother always kept her grounded.
“My mum always kept us very real. Now, at 51, I still meet influencers and celebrities, but what I’ve learned is that we’re all the same. We’re all navigating life’s rollercoaster.”
But one of life’s hardest lessons would eventually force Alex to stop and look at herself differently.
For years, she was a self-confessed people pleaser.
“The bullying became a life lesson for me,” she says. “I realised not everyone was my friend.”
What followed was a period she now describes as rock bottom.
“It felt like the world was speeding past me and I couldn’t keep up. The overwhelm, the constant thoughts, the feeling that if people could just see the real me, they would understand.”
Eventually, her body and mind simply stopped.
The woman who had spent so much of her life caring for everyone else suddenly found herself needing support.
Thankfully, her mum stepped in.
“She came to the rescue with her wisdom and advice. Deep down, I knew I had to get back up, not just for myself, but for my children.”
Yet one of the most painful parts wasn’t the breakdown itself.
It was the loneliness.
“The women I thought were my friends walked away. No questions. No check-ins. They knew I wasn’t in a great place, but they still disappeared.”
Looking back now, nearly a decade later, Alex can see just how much she’s changed.
“Hurt people hurt people,” she says.
“And people-pleasing Alex? She doesn’t exist anymore.”
If rebuilding herself after rock bottom was one defining chapter, losing her sister Georgia was another entirely.
A chapter that changed everything.
“Losing Georgia changed me in more ways than I could ever explain.”
The grief was sudden, traumatic and all-consuming.
“It changes how you see life. How you see friendships. Motherhood. Every single day.”
Like anyone who has experienced profound loss, Alex carries it with her.
“It’s like seeing the world through completely different eyes. You carry immense grief and heartache, but at the same time, you stop taking things for granted. You become more intentional. More present.”
Even now, some memories remain difficult.
“The image of my sister lying there still haunts me.”
Yet somehow, while carrying unimaginable grief, she continued showing up.
As a mother.
A wife.
A daughter.
A friend.
“I was completely broken inside,” she says.
“But life doesn’t stop. My children, husband and parents still needed me.”
Today, Alex speaks about Georgia not in the past tense, but as someone who continues to walk beside her.
“I speak to her every day. Especially in the car.”
She laughs softly.
“I know that probably sounds strange, but that’s where I feel her most.”
In many ways, Georgia’s presence became part of what came next. The creation of YOU By Alex.
The wellness business Alex founded wasn’t born from a business plan or a desire to start something new.
It was born from healing.
“It started with healing myself.”
Driven by her own experiences, Alex immersed herself in learning about the body, movement, lymphatics, nervous system regulation and emotional wellbeing.
What began as a deeply personal journey eventually became something she wanted to share with others.
Today, she has worked with more than 350 clients.
“Healing from within is incredibly powerful,” she says. “To be the best version of myself for my family, my clients and myself, I have to continue doing the work every day.”
At YOU By Alex, clients arrive carrying all kinds of stories.
“My youngest client is five and my oldest is 87,” she says.
“Women walk through the door carrying trauma, anxiety, grief, illness, pain and so much more.”
What matters most to her isn’t fixing people.
It’s helping them feel seen.
“No one is a number. Every woman deserves to feel heard, understood and supported.”
It’s why she has created a space that feels less like a clinic and more like a sanctuary.
A place where women can exhale.
“When the mind feels safe, the body feels safe.”
Starting a completely new chapter at 50 is something many women would shy away from.
Alex embraced it.
“Slowing down isn’t in my DNA,” she laughs.
Anyone who knows her would probably agree.
She’s constantly thinking, creating and dreaming about what’s next.
“Every lesson, every challenge and every experience has led me here.”
And she’s far from finished.
“Hopefully I’ve got another 50 years to go.”
For the women reading this who feel lost, heartbroken or like they’re standing at the beginning of yet another chapter, Alex’s message is simple.
Be kind to yourself.
Move gently.
Ask for help.
Find your people.
And don’t be afraid to begin again.
“You can start over as many times as you need to,” she says.
“You can reset over and over again.”
After everything she’s lived through, perhaps she’s proof that some of life’s most meaningful chapters don’t arrive when we expect them to.
Sometimes they arrive after heartbreak.
Sometimes they arrive after loss.
And sometimes, they arrive at 51.
Exactly when you’re ready for them.
About YOU By Alex
What began as Alex’s own healing journey has evolved into a thriving wellness business helping women feel seen, supported and empowered in their health and wellbeing.
Through lymphatic treatments, movement, wellbeing and holistic support, Alex helps women reconnect with themselves from the inside out.
To learn more about YOU By Alex, click here
