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The Power to Rise Above

Updated: Feb 6, 2023

by Co-Author, Dr Vanessa Atienza-Hipolito, Founding Member, The Brilliant Foundation

Dr Vanessa, Co-Authored

The Power to Rise Above Included in 2023 Hollywood Swag Bag


PERTH, Western Australia, February 2023 – I, Dr Vanessa Atienza-Hipolito of Women’s and Breast Imaging has co-authored global book The Power to Rise Above which will be a part of the coveted Hollywood Swag Bags gifted to Oscar Nominees over The Oscars Weekend March 12th in Los Angeles, California. I am delighted that this book is reaching out to women in other parts of the world.


Just letting you know that The Power to Rise Above is the first release by Ozark Press. This anthology is about overcoming bullying, abuse, heartbreak and trauma.



The project is the dream of positive ageing women’s advocate Sandy Davies with a foreword by Oprah Winfrey’s favourite guest of all time, humanitarian Dr Tererai Trent.


In addition to my contribution, women from First Nations groups, Australia, Nigeria, Micronesia, Jamaica, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Peru, the UK, Indonesia, the Philippines, the Hawaiian Islands and mainland USA have come together to share their stories to prove your inner flame never extinguishes no matter what you are facing. Past lived experiences do not define you or your future.

According to Dr Trent, she affirms, “If you are yearning to discover your greatness in this life, this book is for you. If you are going through some rough patches in your life, then this powerful anthology is proof that you have the power to rise above. These brave storytellers have broken the silence by providing us with a template to own our voices. When we are brave enough to break the silence, we break it for other women, too. These thirty women have interwoven their fingers to form a collective circle to promise you that you are not alone and you, too, can rise.”


This book has been shared with local non-profits, women’s legal services in Victoria, transitional housing in NSW and Far North Queensland, outreach programs in Hawaii, crisis centres in Birmingham UK and in domestic violence shelters along the Californian Coast. And on the weekend of March 12th, The Power to Rise Above will be shared with Oscar nominees as a part of the famed Hollywood Swag Bags.


“For this story of healing and strength which began in the remote tropics of Australia’s Daintree Rainforest to be received by some of these Oscar nominees over the Oscar weekend is a dream come true,” says editor Sandy Davies. “Our vision for this book is to give hope. How exciting to have a Hollywood name or two amplify our message of hope. Proof that dreams really do come true.”



Dr Vanessa says: “I contributed to this project because I wanted to help medical students, interns, resident medical officers, junior doctors and any doctor in any phase of their career who suffered and is still suffering from mental stress, emotional trauma and moral injury.”

Dr Vanessa hopes that “These stories will resonate within your soul long after you’ve closed the cover. Their stories will lift you and provide practical inspiration if you are facing adversity.”


Five days after its inclusion in the Hollywood Swag Bag, The Power to Rise Above will celebrate a formal launch on The International Day Against Bullying and Violence on the 17th of March 2023 at the Clink Theatre in international tourist mecca Port Douglas Australia. The venue is a historic jail and has been chosen as a symbolic reminder that we each hold the key to the cell that confines us. We can break free from the narratives of our past to rise above.


The Power to Rise Above is available from the author, the website or via all the usual on-line platforms.


Buy one, give one. Be a part of the power to rise above movement. The thirty co-authors ask you to buy one, give one in your community. Purchase a second copy and donate it to a transitional housing centre, domestic violence centre or anti-bullying non-profit in your neighbourhood. Give someone struggling their message of hope.


For more information about The Power to Rise Above visit https://thepowertoriseabove.com.au


For more about the Hollywood Swag Bags visit


To contact me:

Freecall 1800 632 766

Phone (08) 9383 2799

Email office@wbi.net.au

For more information:

Instagram: @dr.vanessa.atienza.hipolito

Facebook: Dr Vanessa Atienza-Hipolito

Twitter: @DrVanessaAH

LinkedIn: Dr Vanessa Atienza-Hipolito


edited by Dr Renee Ralph, Co-Founder, The Brilliant Foundation

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