Yvonne started Tai Chi in 1993 at Mount Waverley – her aim being to find a little balance in life - after running a very busy take-away shop. In early 1994, she moved to the new Glen Iris Saturday (the forerunner of the Ashburton class) morning class that had just started up in Toorak Road.  There she met Noel, who was also a founding member of this new Saturday morning class, and who was looking for a mix of some gentler exercise (after doing all the standard energetic physical sports when younger and was now starting to feel the effect of some injuries) and his desire to further explore some Eastern philosophies.  However, for the next two years, they both lived in their own separate work and Tai Chi worlds.

In early 1996, a chat in the car park after Tai Chi was their first really ‘personal meeting’. Noel, being an aeronautical engineer, was a bit quiet and awkward around the female gender but wooed Yvonne with a number of classical concerts (music they have in common), and some long spiritual talks over bowls of pasta at Sophia’s in Camberwell. In early 1997, Yvonne decided to follow Noel to Brisbane for his work, moving back to Melbourne later that year, but before then, Noel surprised Yvonne with a romantic dinner (don’t forget he’s an engineer, not a romantic!) during which he proposed on a paddle steamer down the Brisbane river.  They returned to Melbourne, and their favourite Saturday morning Ashburton Tai Chi class, enjoying the social aspects of the group, and the many routines (and changes) and 3 moves that this class has had over the last 10 years. 

Yvonne and Noel live in Werribee and have started a new Point Cook class.