Sharni Maree is the founder of Smart Bear Health, with a background in health sciences, functional medicine, rehabilitation, neuroscience, education, and research. Her work is shaped by both professional training and lived experience navigating her own complex chronic illness, including cancer, endometriosis, and autoimmune disease.

Her early experiences with chronic illness began in her teens, when endometriosis led to persistent pain, fatigue, and significant disruption to daily life. As symptoms progressed, she encountered a challenge that many people know all too well - limited explanations, narrow treatment options, and little structured guidance to understand what was happening or how to move forward.

This led her to begin independently researching, testing, and gradually building her own approach to managing symptoms and restoring function. Over time, she was able to stabilise her health and return to study and work - but the process was fragmented, time-consuming, and often overwhelming to navigate alone.

While working in natural health and clinical environments, she recognised the same pattern repeatedly: people navigating complex symptoms were often left to piece together their own understanding of their condition, with limited access to credible education or a clear pathway forward.