Overview
- Dr Sarah Golding received an AgriFutures Rural Women's Acceleration Grant in 2024 and has since been named a 2026 NSW State Finalist in the AgriFutures Rural Women's Award, demonstrating the long-term impact of the Rural Women's Program in supporting women's leadership journeys.
- The Acceleration Grant enabled Sarah to establish The Vet Mind Mentor and develop The Resilient Vet Mastermind, a structured mentoring program that helps veterinarians build confidence, resilience and sustainable careers. Sarah credits the grant as the key driver in turning her idea into a successful initiative.
- Sarah's initiative tackles veterinarian burnout, compassion fatigue and workforce shortages by helping retain veterinary professionals in rural and regional communities. The broader impact supports stronger veterinary businesses, improved animal welfare outcomes and more sustainable rural communities.
From an Acceleration Grant recipient in 2024 to a Rural Women's Award State Finalist in 2026, Sarah's story showcases the long-term value of investing in women leaders and the enduring impact of the AgriFutures Rural Women's Program.
The AgriFutures Rural Women's Program is designed to support women at different stages of their leadership journey. For Dr Sarah Golding, the Rural Women's Acceleration Grant provided the foundation to transform an idea into a growing business, while the Rural Women's Award provided a platform to scale her impact even further. Her journey demonstrates how the two programs work together to support rural women leaders from concept through to established impact.
A veterinarian for more than a decade, Sarah Golding has spent her career working in rural, regional and remote communities across Queensland and New South Wales. As a mother of two and practicing vet, she witnessed first-hand the pressures facing the profession, including high rates of burnout, compassion fatigue, stress and workforce shortages.
Motivated by a desire to improve mental wellbeing outcomes for veterinarians and support the long-term sustainability of the profession, Sarah developed a vision for tailored mindset mentoring and resilience training for veterinary professionals.
Accelerating an idea into action
In 2024, Sarah was awarded an AgriFutures Rural Women's Acceleration Grant to establish The Vet Mind Mentor, an initiative focused on providing tailored support and mindset mentoring for veterinarians, particularly women entering the profession.
The Acceleration Grant enabled Sarah to invest in her professional development and build the foundations of what would become The Resilient Vet Mastermind, a structured mentoring program designed to help veterinarians develop confidence, emotional resilience and strategies for achieving sustainable careers in practice.
Reflecting on the opportunity, Sarah noted the significant value of the AgriFutures network and the visibility generated through the program, which helped support the successful launch of her initiative. She later described the exposure and connections gained through the Acceleration Grant as instrumental in growing her business and expanding its reach.
"The AgriFutures Acceleration Grant had a profound impact on bringing The Vet Mind Mentor to fruition. The initiative really was just a pipe dream before that. The grant enabled me to connect my 'why' to the 'how' and was the main driver behind developing The Resilient Vet Mastermind." Sarah said.
Scaling impact through the Rural Women's Award
Building on the momentum of the Acceleration Grant, Sarah applied for the 2026 AgriFutures Rural Women's Award and was selected as an NSW State Finalist.
By this stage, her business had evolved significantly. Through The Resilient Vet Mastermind, Sarah was delivering a three-month structured mentoring program aimed at changing the "sink or swim" experience commonly faced by graduate veterinarians entering the workforce.
"My experience through the Acceleration grant gave me an insight into the power of the Rural Women's Award and it's alumni," Sarah explained.
"The vast collaborative opportunity provided by this network is invaluable. The leadership experience was also a big driver for me applying this year."
The program provides practical tools and training to help participants:
- Build confidence and reduce fear of failure.
- Navigate difficult conversations with clients and colleagues.
- Develop strategies for managing stress and compassion fatigue.
- Improve work-life balance.
- Build long-term resilience and career sustainability.
At the time of her Award application, Sarah had already supported veterinarians through her mentoring program and outlined ambitions to significantly expand its reach, pursue professional accreditation and increase engagement with veterinary clinics and universities across Australia.
"Being a finalist enabled The Vet Mind Mentor to grow its reach vastly. It also provided me with a number of media and speaking opportunities which have allowed me to strengthen these skills and greatly increased my confidence," Sarah said.
Creating change for rural communities
While Sarah's work focuses on supporting veterinarians, the broader impact extends far beyond individual participants. Her initiative addresses one of the key challenges facing regional Australia: attracting and retaining veterinary professionals in rural communities.
By helping veterinarians build resilience, confidence and job satisfaction, Sarah aims to improve workforce retention, strengthen veterinary businesses and support animal welfare outcomes in regional communities. She is passionate about ensuring more vets can enjoy long, fulfilling careers while continuing to serve the communities that rely on them.
The power of the AgriFutures Rural Women's Program
Sarah's journey highlights the complementary nature of the AgriFutures Rural Women's Acceleration Grant and the AgriFutures Rural Women's Award.
To anyone considering applying for either program, Sarah's advice is simple:
"Absolutely do it!
"You don't have to have it all figured out. Even the simplest idea can strengthen our rural industries and communities if you lead with purpose and passion," Sarah explained.
The Acceleration Grant provided the leadership development, learning opportunities and support needed to bring an emerging vision to life.
The Rural Women's Award then offered a platform to showcase a growing business with proven impact and a clear roadmap for scaling change.
Today, Sarah stands as a strong example of how women can progress through the AgriFutures Rural Women's Program, building confidence, capability and connections along the way. Her success demonstrates that with the right support, an idea can develop into a thriving initiative creating meaningful impact for rural industries, communities and future generations.
Click here to apply for the 2027 AgriFutures Rural Women's Award
Click here to apply for the 2027 AgriFutures Rural Women's Acceleration Grant
