IN HER almost 80 years of life, a Bathurst woman has been a dental hygienist, a dancer, a teacher, a university lecturer, a business owner, and an inspiration to many.
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In between it all, she's still had time to raise her three children and cultivate many important relationships.
But, looking back, the most important thing to Ann Mader-Flowers is having the ability to change people's lives.
And this is all something she has been doing since she was a child.
Born in Holland [now known as the Netherlands] where she lived for the first nine years of her life, Ms Mader-Flowers has always had an intrinsic need to bring people together.
"When I was young I was always like that," she said.
"Even in my early years, in Holland, I remember getting the kids off the street and taking them somewhere, and organising them, so I've always been that kind of person."
This way of life has led her on a remarkable journey, one full of movement, teaching and connection.
And she's been sharing this life with the people of Bathurst, on and off, since she moved from Sydney in 1976.
"I can teach you."
Ms Mader-Flowers' journey has culminated with the Breathe DMC Studio along Bentinck Street, where she now teaches Pilates and yoga.
"Teaching is what I do," she said.
"I teach movement. I'm a ballet teacher, a gymnastics coach, a Pilates teacher, a yoga teacher, and if you want to dance or do anything like that, I can teach you."
This desire to teach and help others is something that Ms Mader-Flowers has been able to fine-tune during her eight decades of life.
It's her purpose.
"You have to have a purpose."
"I had my butt up, and my head down, and I never saw anything," she said.
"You have to have a purpose ... and that does drive me to do the work I have to do today. I'm just a driven person, with the purpose of changing the lives of others."
This is done through helping women to develop better relationships with their minds and bodies, through practising mindfulness through movement.
"I like people to achieve the best of their ability, and that's just an innate thing."
"It's not just about exercise, it's about how you think and what you feel, and everybody is different."
"I love to see people achieve their goals, and the goals that they have when they walk in here is to change, and to make changes."
And what Ms Mader-Flowers gets out of it?
"The joy of giving," she said.
This joy is something she is hoping continues for many, many years to come, as she said she has no plans to stop teaching anytime soon.
