69/100 DAYS (ish) Alessia Maio. Crohn’s has been “a speed bump, not a roadblock”.

The Women of Influence Podcast with Kate Meade · Oct 4, 2026 · 22m

September was Crohn’s & Colitis Australia’s Live Fearless Challenge, but behind the campaign there is Alessia; with an invisible illness and refusing to be defined by circumstances she never chose.

At 25, Perth's Alessia Maio is studying to become a paramedic while

managing Crohn’s disease that has required three surgeries this year

alone and hospital treatment every four weeks. She first experienced

symptoms at 16, including severe pain, bleeding and needing the

bathroom up to 30 times a day, but wasn't diagnosed until she was 20.

There are still days when Alessia comes home exhausted, in…