Seen
If you can see it, you can be it. But what happens when you look around and nobody looks like you? Seen is an interview podcast that talks to inspirational Australians who have come from under-represented backgrounds and communities, and made astonishing impacts on our culture. Join host Yumi Stynes this season celebrating older women who take risks, show huge courage, resilience, and tenacity to rise to excellence in their third act. Meet pro surfer Pauline Menczer, renowned artist Lindy Lee, community chef Duang Tengritrat and Tiwi Island Sistagirl Crystal Love Johnson, and more.
S3 E6 · Wed, April 23, 2025
Kerryn Harvey: An amputee who refused to let her injury stop her from dreaming big
Kerryn Harvey was living a fit and active life until - in her mid 30s - a tragic cycling accident resulted in the loss of her entire arm. Not one to give up, she found herself starting again, re-learning the basics of everyday life - dressing, walking, and even cycling. Where others might have adjusted to a smaller life, Kerryn instead dreamed bigger, getting back on her bike to achieve international success on the parathletic race track. Now in her third act, Kerryn continues to be an inspiration through her fitness program, bringing together older women looking for ways to be fit, strong and powerful as they head into middle-age and beyond.
S3 E5 · Wed, April 16, 2025
Najla Turk: Realising that to be a carer for others, you have to care for yourself
From a young age, Najla Turk had an appetite for learning but was surrounded by people and systems who made her doubt herself. It wasn’t until she married, and started her family, that she realised that she needed to overcome her self doubt, and become the role model she wanted to be to her daughters, and to herself. As Najla pursued her education, she found herself juggling the incredibly difficult 24/7 role of a carer - first for her father, and then her own husband. Using the same tenacity that saw her achieve her education goals, Najla now uses self-care and compassion to be an advocate and role model for other unpaid carers and their needs.
S3 E4 · Wed, April 09, 2025
Lindy Lee: Legendary artist coming into her prime at the age of 70
Lindy Lee is one of Australia’s most successful, and revered contemporary artists. However, she wasn’t always the iconic, confident sculptor we know so well today. A child of Chinese migrants, Lindy grew up under the racism of the White Australia policy. It took Lindy many years, and many careers, to finally find her artistic confidence, but once she started down that path she never looked back. Having spent a lifetime building her toolkit and cultivating her curiosity, Lindy feels like she’s only now - in her 70’s - coming into her prime.
S3 E3 · Wed, April 02, 2025
Crystal Love Johnson: A trans drag queen icon fighting for the safety and happiness of her Sistagirls
Crystal Love Johnson’s journey has not been an easy one, but it is one of hope, joy and sisterhood. Growing up in the Tiwi Islands, Crystal knew early on that she was female, even if her family and community did not. When she found support among the other women to come out, she realised how important it is for people to truly see you. Going on to become one of Australia’s most iconic drag queen performers, Crystal now uses her position as a wise older woman to provide guidance and mentorship to the younger sistagirls and brotherboys of the Tiwi Islands.
S3 E2 · Wed, March 26, 2025
Duang Tengtrirat: Community chef proving you’re never too old to find your place
Inspirational is an understatement when it comes to describing Duang Tengritrat. Born in a small Thai village with no running water or electricity, Duang was an entrepreneurial powerhouse right from the start. With big dreams as her fuel, she fought and won scholarship after scholarship - taking her out of the village to the big city, on to Australia and then the USA. Fighting racism, loneliness and isolation took her to the edge, but thanks to her generous heart, and passion for cooking, Duang has now found the thing she never knew she needed - a true community who embraces her for who she is.
S3 E1 · Wed, March 19, 2025
Pauline Menczer: World champion surfer finally getting the recognition she deserves
Pauline Menczer is a women’s world champion surfer who, at the height of her success, went completely unnoticed and ignored - because she didn’t look the part of an ‘Aussie female surfer’. Despite the odds against her, she persevered and, as part of a bold group of female surfers, successfully fought to have women formally and financially acknowledged in major surfing competitions. Today, she is finally getting the recognition and respect that she deserves, continuing to champion the underdogs that are coming up in her wake.
Trailer · Thu, March 06, 2025
Introducing Seen season 3: Eight new stories of fearless women being seen in their third act
If you can see it, you can be it, but what happens when you look around and nobody looks like you? Join host Yumi Stynes in a new season of SEEN, celebrating the trailblazers who, despite having no role models in mainstream culture, take risks, show huge courage, and rise to excellence anyway. In Season 3 we meet fearless, older women who are finding a fresh sense of purpose in their third act. Fierce females, whose resilience and tenacity demands that they be seen - on their own terms.
S2 E8 · Mon, April 15, 2024
Antonia Burke: Overcoming internalised racism
Today, Antonia Burke is a proud Indigenous woman who embraces her identity, her heritage and her community. But she wasn’t always proud. After years of deep detachment from her culture and a long career in the mining industry, she reconnected with her community just as the mining industry set their sights on drilling in her home. Join Yumi Stynes as Antonia shows us the resilience of community, the cruelty of generational trauma, and what it takes to heal.
S2 E7 · Mon, April 08, 2024
Tea Uglow: Inclusion in tech and beyond
Tea Uglow is an influential voice in the tech world. A pioneering force behind Google's Creative Lab where she led experimental tech projects for 17 years, Tea Uglow's brilliance extends beyond technology. Join Yumi Stynes as the pair walk through Tea's personal journey, and how her experience as a trans autistic woman has become a powerful lens through which she reshapes the tech landscape.
S2 E6 · Mon, April 01, 2024
Debbie Kilroy OAM: From incarceration to leading advocacy for criminalised women
Debbie Kilroy is one of Australia's leading advocates for criminalised women and children. From her horrific experience in prison to becoming a lawyer and a leading voice in the fight for prisoners' rights, Debbie's journey is a testament to resilience. Join Yumi Stynes as the pair walk through Debbie’s life in prison, her pursuit of education as a tool, and the invisibility of the community she’s fighting for.
S2 E5 · Mon, March 25, 2024
Darcy Vescio: Rediscovering footy and being non-binary in AFL Women’s
Darcy Vescio is a professional footy player in AFL Women’s with a mighty list of achievements under their belt. Two-time AFL Women Leading Goalkicker, Darcy was the first player to reach 50 career goals in the league! But if you spoke to Darcy at 14, they were ready to give up footy for good - there was no space for people like Darcy to play professionally. Host Yumi Stynes chats to Darcy about rediscovering footy, locker room talk, and coming out as non-binary.
S2 E4 · Mon, March 18, 2024
Tarang Chawla: From grief to activism
Tarang Chawla is most recognised for his work as an activist against gender-based violence — but if you ask him, it’s something he wishes he didn’t have to do. In this episode, you’ll hear about Tarang’s journey from profound loss to impactful activism, and how above all, his voice isn’t the one that needs to be heard. The voices he wants to amplify are the voices of victims of gender based violence like his sister Nikita Chawla, and those misrepresented by mainstream media.
S2 E3 · Mon, March 11, 2024
Khanh Ong: From refugee kid to household name
Khanh Ong wears a lot of hats — cook, presenter, author, ex-DJ and fan favourite contestant on MasterChef. But he didn’t grow up thinking he could be any of those things. In fact, he thought his only option was to be a surgeon. In this episode, host Yumi Stynes chats with Khanh about what food can represent, coming out as gay to his Vietnamese mother, and how he once rolled out of a moving car to avoid a difficult conversation.
S2 E2 · Mon, March 04, 2024
Dr Amy Thunig: Gomeroi writer and academic breaking generational cycles
Dr Amy Thunig knows what it’s like to be ostracised. Growing up, Amy and their family experienced adversity and racism. But that didn’t stop Amy from absolutely thriving in academia. Today they are a prominent academic and writer who advocates for better representation of Indigenous voices and knowledge. Amy and Yumi Stynes reflect on the generational cycles that shape us, and in spite of the challenges, how beautiful they can be.
S2 E1 · Mon, February 26, 2024
Kween Kong: From rising rugby star to powerhouse drag artist
Kween Kong captivated audiences on RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under and became the first drag artist to be nominated for a Logie. A big change for someone who was on the path towards professional rugby! As an artist of Tongan and Samoan descent, Kween was also often the first person of colour in the spaces she inhabited. Join Yumi Stynes as we walk through Kween’s story of embracing feminine energy and breaking down limiting expectations.
Trailer · Mon, February 19, 2024
Introducing Seen season 2: Eight new stories about the power of being seen
If you can see it, you can be it. But what happens when you look around and nobody looks like you? Join host Yumi Stynes for a new season of Seen, an SBS Audio podcast about trailblazers who have taken risks, shown huge courage, and risen to excellence without visible role models in mainstream culture showing them the way. Celebrity chef Kanh Ong, drag royalty Kween Kong, writer and academic Dr Amy Thunig, activist Tarang Chawla and more share the transformative moments they felt seen.
S1 E11 · Mon, May 15, 2023
Ellia Green: Sporting superstar and the first Australian Olympian to come out as a trans man
All eyes were on Ellia Green when he won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics with the Australia rugby sevens team, but there was only person he needed to know was watching. In the final episode of this first season of Seen, Yumi Stynes speaks to the first Australian Olympian to come out as a trans man, Ellia Green, about his upbringing in Fiji and Australia, his journey to the Olympics, and the women who helped him feel seen.
S1 E10 · Mon, May 08, 2023
Dr Dinesh Palipana: Doctor, lawyer & disability advocate
After a car accident left him paralysed, medical student Dinesh Palipana didn’t know if a future in medicine was even possible. Yumi Stynes speaks to Dinesh about finding purpose in life, creating meaning from tragedy, and his journey to becoming Queensland's first quadriplegic medical intern.
S1 E9 · Mon, May 01, 2023
Professor Veena Sahajwalla: Award winning inventor & recycling queen
Professor Veena Sahajwalla spent her childhood running through the the bazaars of Mumbai and watching her mother’s holistic approach to medicine. These experiences shaped Veena’s unique perspectives on science, which have seen her recognised as the 2022 NSW Australian of the Year and awarded the Eureka Prize. In this episode of Seen, Yumi Stynes speaks with Professor Veena Sahajwalla about her passion for recycling, her determination to change the world with science and how she’s paving the way for other women in her field.
S1 E8 · Mon, April 24, 2023
Stuart Yiwarr McGrath: Aboriginal health practitioner & first Yolngu nurse, breaking barriers in healthcare
Most Australians would regard our health system as world class, but there’s an ecosystem of discrimination that many of us often don’t see. Stuart Yiwarr McGrath is a Galiwin’ku man from north-east Arnhem Land. He’s passionate about shifting the dial on health discrimination and providing culturally appropriate healthcare to his community. Yumi Stynes speaks to Stuart about becoming the first Yolngu registered nurse, and what it means to reconcile both black and white parts of his identity.
S1 E7 · Mon, April 17, 2023
Shyamla Eswaran: Performance artist connecting with their identity through dance
When Shyamla Eswaran sat down for a portrait with Archibald prize-winning painter Blak Douglas, he saw Shyamla in a light they weren't ready to see themselves. Yumi Stynes chats with the dancer and artist about growing up South-Asian in Sydney’s Shire, reckoning with their gender fluidity, and connecting with their culture through dance.
S1 E6 · Mon, April 10, 2023
Ray Ahn: Punk legend from the Hard-Ons with bare-chested bravery
Imagine performing shirtless as an Asian male in a room full of neo-Nazi’s? In the height of the punk scene in the 80’s, the Hard-Ons were a force to be reckoned with, defiant in the face of all odds. Yumi Stynes talks to punk legend Ray Ahn about his experience coming to Australia as a Korean migrant, discovering his love for punk rock, and the Aussie rock legend who shaped what Ray himself thought was possible.
S1 E5 · Mon, April 03, 2023
Atong Atem: Internationally renowned artist and writer reframing blackness through art
Atong Atem’s way of expressing herself has taken the art world by storm. Within a culture that celebrates whiteness, Atong’s futuristic self-portraits celebrate and centre blackness. Yumi Stynes speaks to artist Atong Atem about her experience migrating to Australia, finding community and the weight of hypervisibility as a black woman in today’s world.
S1 E4 · Mon, March 27, 2023
Yassmin Abdel-Magied: Writer, social advocate, and cancel culture survivor
Writer, activist and broadcaster Yassmin Abdel-Magied is, for better or worse, one of the most visible women in the Australian media. The negative backlash that followed a couple of social media posts in 2017 left her questioning what she’d done wrong and where she belonged. In this episode of Seen, Yumi Stynes and Yassmin chat about the limitations of the model minority myth, what it’s like to be ‘cancelled' and what moving on looks like.
S1 E3 · Mon, March 20, 2023
Michael Mohammed Ahmad: Award-winning novelist and playwright reclaiming nuance in representation
As a young actor looking to make his mark, Michael Mohammed Ahmad faced one problem, people only wanted to cast him as a drug dealer. Yumi Stynes sits down with Michael Mohammed - novelist, playwright and founder of Sweatshop Western Sydney Literary Movement. We hear about his experiences growing up as a young Muslim Lebanese man in a post-9/11 world, the defining moments that have shaped his career, and how mirroring is key to nuanced representation.
S1 E2 · Mon, March 13, 2023
Hannah Diviney: Disability activist & writer shifting the dial on pop culture
Growing up, Hannah Diviney was constantly asked what her paralympic sport was going to be. “I would always turn around and be like, see my two sisters over there. How come you're not asking them what their Olympic sport is going to be?” Join Yumi Stynes as the pair discuss why representation is so important, taking on Lizzo, and how Hannah is working to shatter misconceptions about disability.
S1 E1 · Mon, March 06, 2023
Narelda Jacobs: Proud Whadjuk Noongar journalist speaking her truth
Narelda Jacobs is a Whadjuk Noongar woman and the first Aboriginal, openly lesbian newsreader on TV in Western Australia. Join Yumi Stynes as the pair reflect on Narelda’s relationships with her parents, coming to terms with her sexuality, forging her career in media and the responsibility she bears as a very visible First Nations media personality.
Trailer · Tue, February 21, 2023
Introducing Seen: A podcast about the power of being seen
If you can see it, you can be it. But what happens when you look around and nobody looks like you? Join host Yumi Stynes for Seen, a new SBS podcast about cultural creatives who rise to excellence in spite of arriving in a role-model vacuum. Trailblazers like writer Yassmin Abdel-Magied, musician Ray Ahn, and Olympian Ellia Green share the transformative moments they felt seen.
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