Mark Woodley
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Mark Woodley

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Mark Woodley – Father, Author, Entrepreneur, Advocate and Athlete Mark Woodley is an Australian father, author, entrepreneur, GPS windsurfing competitor, and advocate for the rights and wellbeing of separated fathers. His memoir, Don’t Die Dad: A Separated Father’s Journey from Devastation to Peace and Acceptance, resonates deeply with men navigating the collapse of family, identity, and connection. Mark’s story of fatherhood began like many—with joy and the dream of raising his children in a loving home. That dream shattered with a single text message, launching him into the chaos of legal conflict, emotional disconnection, and the grief of part-time parenting. Over the next ten years, he faced a collapse of self, a loss of purpose, and long stretches of silence from his children. A self-employed professional in the health and nutrition industry and previous the cosmetic industry and advertising industry, Mark has spent over 30 years working with a variety of people and corporations. But business success couldn’t shield him from the emotional toll of separation. As his internal world crumbled, he returned to a teenage passion. Windsurfing became his lifeline—restoring presence, physical resilience, and emotional strength. He went on to become a GPS Windsurfing Champion, proving his tenacity and reminding him that healing often begins with physical motion. But the deepest transformation came through facing the shadows within: childhood trauma, addictions, emotional shutdown, and the ache of losing daily contact with his children. His journey through despair, recovery, and hard-earned clarity is captured in Don’t Die Dad, written over three symbolic days of hiking through New Zealand’s Southern Alps—a mirror to his decade of emotional reckoning. Today, Mark is the founder of Separated Fathers Recovery, which hosts an online course: Always Dad: The Recovery Accelerator for Separated Fathers, a structured course grounded in lived experience, empathy, and growth. Through his work, Mark champions legal reform, mental health support, and greater understanding of the father-child bond after separation. He looks to speak regularly on podcasts and panels about male vulnerability, rebuilding after crisis, and showing up with dignity—even when love is met with silence. Mark lives in Perth, Western Australia and travels back to New Zealand regularly where Don’t Die Dad was written. He remains a present, committed father and a qualified voice for change—proof that from devastation, peace and acceptance is possible.
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  • Don't Die Dad cover art

    • Don't Die Dad

    • A Separated Father’s Journey from Devastation to Peace and Acceptance
    • By: Mark Woodley
    • Narrated by: Mark Woodley
    • Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
    • Release date: 23-10-2025
    • Language: English
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