Full Circle: a personal story of reconnection by Jenny-May Clarkson

Jenny-May Clarkson's (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Kahu) memoir is a candid account of her journey from a childhood in rural Piopio to international sporting success as a Silver Fern and beyond. 

Her journey to Silver Fern status and television fame is fascinating, but it’s Jenny-May’s interior journey that captivates. The way she considers questions of identity, belonging and self-worth resonate, regardless of your background or experiences.

Full Circle confronts the personal tragedies that shaped Jenny-May’s life, including the death of her brother Charles from meningitis when she was six years old, and later losing her brother Jeff to bowel cancer, followed by her father's death from a heart attack just months later.

Her professional setbacks are equally laid bare, particularly her devastating exclusion from the Silver Ferns in 2003. However, one of the most powerful aspects of Jenny-May’s memoir is her honesty about her struggles with body image during her athletic career. She reveals how her unhealthy relationship with food contributed to her being dropped from the Silver Ferns.

“I also know now, looking back, that a big part of why I didn’t make it was that I wasn’t taking care of myself. At that time, I had an issue with my body image, was really struggling with what I looked like. And, if I’m being honest, I simply wasn’t eating well enough. I wasn’t physically well enough.”

She recalls arriving at trials knowing she had the skill, but lacking the physical resources to perform.

“I knew I was good enough, and I’d  been training so hard, but I wasn’t properly fuelling my body so I just had nothing in the tank.”

Jenny-May’s willingness to share these struggles makes her story particularly impactful for young athletes facing similar pressures.

Her personal life takes a heartwarming turn when she meets her husband Dean - they are engaged after 10 days and married seven months later. Soon their blended family includes Dean’s two daughters and their twin sons.

At its core, Full Circle is a powerful story of reconnection to te ao Māori. Jenny-May shares her experience of learning te reo Māori through full immersion and later her decision to receive her moko kauae. Her story is a powerful reminder that it's never too late to become more authentically ourselves.

Full Circle also offers fascinating glimpses into the realities of television broadcasting, motherhood and navigating perimenopause in the public eye. What makes this memoir so compelling is its combination of vulnerability and strength. Jenny-May openly shares both triumphs and struggles with refreshing honesty. 

Jenny-May’s story reminds us that our personal journeys are never truly complete and that sometimes life’s greatest revelations come from circling back to our beginnings. Full Circle is dedicated "to anyone who has ever felt unworthy or is still on the journey to finding themselves." Highly recommended.

Reviewer: Andrea Molloy

HarperCollins