'Surreal' moment for Limerick author as she meets A-list mentor
Michele - who lives in Limerick with her husband and two children - described meeting world-famous media mogul Oprah Winfrey as a “surreal” experience
International award-winning author Michele Roys experienced a full-circle moment when she met the A-list celebrity whose work she says helped her through “one of the hardest parts of (her) own health journey”.
Michele - who lives in Limerick with her husband and two children - described meeting world-famous media mogul Oprah Winfrey as a “surreal” experience.
On Monday, September 14, Michele attended the Up Close with Oprah Winfrey show in the 3 Arena, Dublin, where she also got the opportunity to meet Oprah herself and take a photo.
“I’ve always looked up to Oprah as a mentor from afar, and just being in that room listening to her words was amazing. You grew up with her, you grew up hearing about her, you grew up to see how much she has overcome in her life and the believe she has in herself. For me it was surreal, to not only be at that event but to also afterwards get to meet her in person,” Michele shared.
The Lisnagry woman - who has spent more than seven years living with debilitating chronic pain - is approaching the launch of her new audiobook which aims to “break the silence” around invisible illness and chronic pain.
Living with rigeminal neuralgia, fibromyalgia and chronic Lyme disease since 2018, Michele says it was a book launched by Oprah in 2019 - The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life's Direction and Purpose - helped to pull her “out of a very dark place”.
“For me, it was kind of a light in that darkness of how can you still use your light for good, and what can I get from this for me, so I can turn my story to help others. It was the beginning seed for me, of writing my own book.
“To be given the opportunity to be in the room with her and to take a picture with her was surreal. It was probably around thirty seconds maximum that I got with her, but for me it felt like time just stopped and stood still.”
After telling Oprah about how she inspired her new book, Michele said handing a copy to Oprah’s agent reminded her that “all (she’s) gone through, is to serve the next person”.
“It’s to keep on shining that light, and saying ‘Hey guys, you can find the strength within you to keep going even though its difficult, even though it’s hard’. Reading Oprah’s book really gave me the inspiration to turn my own pain into purpose.”
To find further information on Michele’s journey, or to purchase tickets to the virtual launch celebration of her new audiobook But You Look Just Fine, CLICK HERE.