OUR FOUNDER'S STORY
Our journey began in May 2005, when two lives—on opposite sides of the world—intersected in the most unexpected way. I (Simon) was a single dad raising three teenagers on the Gold Coast, Australia. Xenia was living in the East Midlands, UK, in the final stages of a 15-year domestic violence marriage.
We met online through a UK Christian chat site. What began as friendly conversations quickly grew into a deep connection. Xenia’s marriage ended, and as we shared the highs and lows of life, we discovered a shared faith and a belief that God was doing something bigger than either of us could see.
In August 2006, Xenia flew to Australia for a three-week visit. We fell in love—and despite the 12,000 km between us and seven children from two different families—we took a giant leap of faith and got engaged. By year’s end, we were married.
For the first six months of our marriage, we lived apart. I travelled to the UK, where we planned to split our time between countries until Xenia’s children were old enough to choose their permanent home.
But just weeks after I arrived in July 2007, our world was shattered. One of Xenia’s children disclosed abuse by their father. Police investigations followed, revealing that all four of her children had suffered the same trauma. The man was eventually convicted on 14 charges and imprisoned.
The next two and a half years were marked by pain, police interviews, trials, media attention, and unimaginable heartache. I adopted Xenia’s children, and in January 2010, we finally returned to Australia with our new family of nine.
During those dark days, we struggled to find support. No one told us what to expect—how to navigate courts, police, counselling, or how to survive the emotional aftermath. We were parenting through trauma with no guidebook, separated from my children in Australia and overwhelmed by the toll it was taking on everyone involved.
Out of that season of brokenness, At The Ark was born.
What started as a simple website and Facebook page to connect with others going through similar trauma quickly became a lifeline for people across the globe. Parents, survivors, professionals, and children began reaching out to share their stories. We were stunned by how many were suffering in silence, just like we had.
We returned to Australia, and in August 2010, At The Ark Inc. became a registered charity. Since then, we’ve supported hundreds of families impacted by child sexual abuse and domestic violence. We now travel across the country running child protection workshops and trauma recovery courses.
Xenia has authored the Brave Little Bear child protection book series and her autobiography Broken To Be Beautiful, helping children and survivors find their voice and healing.
What began as a cry for help has become a movement of hope. Our family was broken, then rebuilt. And today, we walk alongside others—showing them that healing is possible, and they are not alone.
If you would like to invite us to speak or run a workshop, contact us at info@attheark.org.au or call 1300 504 501.
For books or resources, email Xenia at xene@attheark.org.au.
