THE wish to reduce her mother’s pain led a Bright physiotherapist into first a new business and now the finals of a national competition.
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Phebe Corey, 25, has reached the top 15 of the Women of the Future contest run by The Australian Women’s Weekly and features in the magazine’s August edition.
Miss Corey, a former Murray High School student who graduated from Charles Sturt University in 2012, hoped she would receive enough online votes to make the final in September.
Together with partner Scott Liston, a graphic designer, Miss Corey designed Articfit proactive tights for women, which provide support to commonly injured joints, such as the lower back, hips and knees.
Miss Corey said the product arose from watching her mother, Meg Gillespie, struggle with niggling injuries that hampered exercise.
“That’s when I had the idea of trying to develop something that could address that,” she said.
“It took a long time to find the right people to talk to and the right places to develop it.
“A lot of trial and error and a lot of research.”
With Australia lacking the necessary technology, the pair turned to China to create sample tights, altering them in response to trials and feedback.
Launched in May, the tights are sold online and Miss Corey hoped the Women’s Weekly competition would help raise awareness of their benefits.
Her mother encouraged her to apply for Women of the Future, which aimed to celebrate young women with inspirational ideas.
The judging panel includes Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop, journalist Leigh Sales, television presenter Lisa Wilkinson and motivational speaker Turia Pitt.
“Just being able to network with those people would just be amazing,” Miss Corey said.
She continues to spend her time developing and promoting the benefits of the Articfit tights.
“I don’t see it so much as a business but more of a passion,” she said.
To vote in Women of the Future, go to the Women’s Weekly website.
