Hello
I am Uzo Nwuga, a mother of 3 wonderful children, woman of faith with a passion to see others succeed and enjoy their lives regardless of their circumstances. I am a Project Manager, Coach, Mentor and on the Board of Trustees for 3 charities. I love reading, travelling and the theatre.
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I am so committed to personal growth and to which I am completing the John Maxwell Leadership Certification programme in March 2024. I can now equip and empower others to grow and become leaders with the tools they need to get out of their current situation and direct them toward their vision, goals and growth.
My Story
"Instead of giving reasons why I can’t, I give myself reasons why I can!"
My late husband, Christopher was diagnosed with Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA7) a year before we got married. Being a partner of someone with long term disability and mum to 3 children, I have a very genuine and unique perspective pf how difficult and challenging life can be. When my children were young, it was difficult finding the right support and balance in my life as a wife, mother, friend, working professional and budding entrepreneur.​​
When I met Chris, he was in very good health. He could roller blade, dance (we used to go Salsa dancing), drive and do all things any able-bodied person could do. As the years progressed, some of our activities were reduced as a result of the deterioration in Chris’s health. His gait and balance were being compromised. I realised pretty quickly that our lives were changing. Although Chris was fiercely independent, he was also very much dependent on me as a result of his disability. In these circumstances and in trying to maintain a balanced life, I became aware that it was quite easy to lose my focus and life’s direction, and remain motivated to work towards my own goals and dreams. I also realised how possible it was to become resentful and angry.
It’s not what is taken away that counts. It’s what you do with what you have left.
Over the years, the challenges increased and I had more responsibilities fall on me, for example, due to the nature of my work, I would return home after travelling for 5 hours and still having to help the children with homework, I learned to do basic DIY jobs, maintenance of the children’s bikes and helping Chris with basic personal needs like putting on his cufflinks.
One of my major challenges, was realising that Chris's occasional lack of confidence and physical condition was affecting our relationship, most importantly my attraction to him. I also had to learn to manage my strong personality (the alpha female I am!) and ensure that I was not dominating at home – a very challenging thing to do when you become the main breadwinner and you are a natural leader.
While I was struggling and dealing with these challenges, I quickly realised that if I didn’t do something and take responsibility for my situation, I would become depressed, overwhelmed and nothing will change. For me, taking responsibility didn’t mean the situation was my fault, but that the outcome of the way I viewed the situation is. I needed to control and manage the best outcomes for me and my family.
So, I got a mentor and a coach that worked with me through my personal and professional challenges. Along the way, I discovered I had a burning desire to help others. Once I found myself in a good place, I decided to pursue my vision of helping others with their lives' vision. I took a number of personal development and leadership courses that were not only beneficial for me professionally, but also empowered me through my personal challenges. To enhance this, I embarked on personal and coaching training at the Coaching Academy to realise my goal of being an empowerment coach.
During the pandemic, I became aware of the need for a safe environment where people in a similar position to myself, with spouses battling a disability and/or neurological condition, could come and share their experiences and encourage one another. So I created i_Authentiic to address this gap. My desire is that i_Authentiic YouTube videos will encourage and inspire people to believe that no challenge is too great to overcome, and that they are not alone.
Since Chris’ passing, my middle child has been diagnosed with the same neurological condition. As a teenager preparing to go to University, this brings a different set of challenges and experience. So, I am using this platform to highlight my story and personal mission which is aimed at supporting people in similar positions to myself.