I starred in an iconic children's TV show but it didn't help me later in life

Lara Jean Marshall starred in the hit children's show The Saddle Club as Lisa. She says despite being a recognisable face in Australia, she struggled to realise her dream of being an actor overseas. After 10 years of sacrificing for her career, she called it quits. Now she's forged a new path that brings her happiness and fulfilment.

Lara Jean Marshall on set of The Saddle Club. Lara says playing the role of Lisa Atwood on the show allowed her to make lifelong friends on set. Source: SBS

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Starring as Lisa Atwood at 12 years old on the children’s television show The Saddle Club was one of the best times of my life.

I made lifelong friendships and was introduced to my love of horses.

Keenan MacWilliam (left), Sophie Bennett (middle) and Lara Jean Marshall starred in The Saddle Club, an Australian-Canadian children's TV show that was popular in the early 00s. Source: SBS

They were long days, but with my on-set family and the constant laughter, pranks and location changes, it didn’t feel like hard work, even though it was.

My favourite times were sitting in my trailer reading the next day’s script and learning of the exciting adventure that Lisa would journey through.

I also enjoyed the meet and greets where we would connect with our audience both in Australia and internationally.

Even now, I get nostalgic thinking about the past.

After The Saddle Club, I pursued acting for over 10 years.

I gave acting my all.

Not worth the sacrifice

I worked jobs that could give me the flexibility to act and went above and beyond to make it but I was getting little in return.

I even moved to Canada and the US to chase my acting dream and sacrificed my nearly six-year relationship in the process.

Lara's love of horses stemmed from her time working on The Saddle Club Source: SBS

There were a lot of difficulties living overseas, and red tape and other obstacles meant it was hard to get into the acting industry.

It got to a point where the lifestyle was negatively impacting my mental health and stressing me financially.

I decided to stop acting because I was sick and tired of being powerless over my own life.

Walking away from my dream really hurt me. It was a huge loss.

Letting go of my dream career

I tried to pursue other career paths after I stopped acting. After a few years I studied journalism - which led me straight to my first job in radio as a news journalist.

I felt a new sense of satisfaction working in this very different form of media.

Like the Saddle Club, it enabled me to bond positively with the community. Other forms of acting I had done felt more self-indulgent.

After giving up acting, Lara made the switch to journalism which led her to hosting a breakfast radio show in Ballarat. Source: SBS

This position catapulted me to my first role as a breakfast radio announcer in Ballarat (in country Victoria), where I can really be myself.

Connecting with my community

Thanks to my new career, I can engage with the local community through on-air competitions and giveaways, playing the latest hits, joking with listeners and empathising with the personal struggles they may have.

It also gives me a platform to interview people of influence and learn what they are doing in and for the community.

All of this gives me the happiness I have always longed for in a career.

This new path also gives me more time to spend with family, friends, work on a children’s animation show I’ve been creating and volunteer at a horse shelter.

When I'm with these majestic animals, it often allows me to reflect and link back with my childhood career on set.

The cast of The Saddle Club also released a series of music albums, one of which reached Gold status on the ARIA charts.

I had regrets at the time, that I may have missed out on other opportunities, but I wouldn’t be where I am now without the life experiences that resulted from my quest for my dream.

If anyone has a passion, they should try to follow their passion till they can’t follow it anymore, but remember that all experiences are valuable. So it doesn’t matter if you don’t achieve your first dream, because the process and life experiences can lead you down other, more fulfilling paths.