Ruin, renewal, and resilience

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2025 has been a big one, full of challenges, chaos, and heartbreak. But it’s also been a year filled with stories of human heart, compassion, perseverance, and, of course, resilience.

Every Sunday edition of The Resilience Brief I cover a story of real-life resilience that demonstrates the power of resilience and determination to find a way forward. It’s impossible to cover all of the stories from the year, but I did want to reflect on a couple of my faves, while sharing the story of a resilient city. Let’s go!

From destruction to renewal - Christchurch.

Christchurch is a city in New Zealand that has been through its fair share of trauma over the last 15 years. But in recent weeks it has just been described as New Zealand’s “most vibrant” city.

First came the 2011 earthquake, which shattered the city centre and forced Christchurch to rebuild it’s identity as much as it’s buildings. The recovery became a redesign with new structures engineered to better withstand future tremors, and a wave of community-led creativity that grew out of the collective trauma.

Then came more hits. The city faced severe wildfires in 2017, which pushed Christchurch to treat resilience as a living system. Everyone had to learn, adapt, and invest in prevention (even down to early-warning tech like heat-detecting cameras). And in 2019, a terrorist attack on two mosques in which 50 people were killed tested the social fabric and community spirit in the most heartbreaking way.

To move forward there needed to be a shared commitment to rebuild “better,” rather than just “build back”. This bounce forward mentality had to include modern infrastructure, public spaces, street art, and an energy that attracted people and businesses looking for affordability and opportunity.

The result is that a city once seen as conservative (perhaps even “unlucky”) is now being talked about as NZ’s most vibrant. It’s been proudly reinvented.

Sometimes it takes some form of devastation to start again. But we shouldn’t just revert back to what we were before… instead, we always have an opportunity to rebuild for the next hit. And especially if we can design systems (such as the budget, skills, routines) for future shocks, not perfect conditions.

Canada Women’s Rugby.

This story hit home and reminded me that sometimes the biggest win isn’t the trophy. In September, England played Canada in the Women’s Rugby World Cup final in London, in front of over 80,000 fans. Unfortunately Canada lost that match, but the fact they were in the final was the greatest victory of all.

The Canadians entered the tournament ranked high, but were operating with a much smaller resource pool than the traditional powerhouses of England, NZ and Australia. The team mapped an “ideal” prep plan that totaled $3.6M, with Rugby Canada contributing a formidable $2.6M. But it still left a gap. A hefty $1M gap.

So the team did something quite unexpected. They acknowledged the gap (exactly), then made it everyone’s mission to close it. That clarity turned to creative ways to raise the funds and everyone contributed to a powerful fundraising effort, thus gaining important momentum as they hit 95% of the goal by the time the tournament started.

The team used that money to train for the storm. The extra investment went into camps and warm-up matches with tough competitors so that the big-game pressure of the World Cup would feel familiar. And it showed up when it mattered most! Canada stunned the defending champions (the New Zealand Black Ferns) with an amazing win in the semi-final to reach the final against England.

I love this one because a shared battle is often what brings us closer. And it also proves that the journey is always much more important than the destination.

The boy reporter from Peru.

Cliver Huamán is a 15-year-old from a tiny village in the Andes with an obsession for commentating football (soccer) matches. With his brother, he’s been commentating for years on social media with a phone, a mic, and stubborn belief.

When Lima was announced as host of the important 2025 Copa Libertadores final, these brothers saw their shot. They rode an 18-hour bus to the stadium… and then got turned away at the entrance gates. They had no tickets and no media passes.

Here’s what they did (something most of us forget in that moment): they controlled the controllables. Cliver couldn’t control security, accreditation, or luck, but he could control his effort, his creativity, and the next move. That’s the shift from “This always happens to me.” to “What’s the next move?”

So they changed the angle, literally. Instead of going home defeated, they found a nearby mountain overlooking the stadium, climbed it, and created their own broadcast booth in the sky.

The clip went viral with millions of views and a whole boatload of new fans. They received invitations from broadcasters for some of the biggest matches in the world. And yes, it looked like luck, but it was resilience in disguise. The steady reps mixed with bold adaptation so that they put themselves where luck could finally find them.

There’s always another way to look at any situation.

Like many years before it, 2025 has felt like a masterclass in resilience. It doesn’t always look like the shiny, movie-trailer version of resilience, but it’s a gritty, human kind.

Even beyond these three stories, the year carried big reminders of collective strength and support that should always be admired, and often studied.

Because it’s in these real-life stories that we can see ourselves when times get tough.

Until next time friends, stay resilient.

Carré @ Resilient Minds

PS - Can you guess which was my most popular article of 2025? Here’s a hint…it’s when British comedians called on rockstars to finance a film. Answer here.