I'm just going to dive right in and be gushy, boastful and total emotional about my morning at the Gsport4Girls awards honouring the women in South African sport.
I remember when my blog had just started to gain attention and the first one or two events opportunities had come along. It was almost a year and a half ago and one those incredible moments was being invited to the Gsport4Girls awards. I was still semi hovering in the midst of a crowd, maybe knowing one or two people. I had so much to learn and so much growing up, in the social world, to do.
As I sat in the same room as I had for the last Gsport4Girls awards of 2012, all I could think of was how far we have come.
Well, you know my story of growth, change and recognition so I'm going to share the story of these incredible SA awards and the inspirational woman behind it all.
I met Kass Naidoo at last year's awards and distinctly remember her embracing our meeting as if we had met years before. The crowd was small and intimate and the event was simple and stylish. Kass, who is the founder of Gsport4girls was the MC and prize giver and all those multiple rolls. She shared stories of the amazing talent in SA sport and her passion for recognising the woman who help put South Africa on the map in the sporting world. In all that she said, I remember being amazed that no big brand had jumped on board as a sponsor for such an important event.
The months passed and Kass has grown to be more than an inspiration. She has grown to be a very dear friend, who has supported myself and Greggie in our vision for our business and our personal goals. As the friendship has blossomed, so has our insight into Kass's world of determination and passion for the sportswomen of SA and today, when the room was packed and there were Spar sponsorship banners engulfing the event, I couldn't help but smile at Kass Naidoo's project me journey.
The room was filled with women all living their #projectme story and from swimming stars like Natalie du Toit to runners as amazing as ?Caster Semenya and the coaches, sponsors and?ambassadors?who shout about these amazing women ... everyone was filled with such purpose.
I couldn't Tweet fast enough and get the inspirational message across that swimming legend, Penny Heyns shared with us, but I hung onto her every word. But when she echoed the message of #projectme: "Whatever we do in life, we must be purpose driven" I felt a rekindled passion for so much I set out to do an a woman and an entrepreneur.
What a different purpose and determination makes and Penny's main theme for her talk was about all the obstacles she had to face and the number of times she wanted to quit before, during and after the gold medals and world records. I've had a hard time blogging of late and my very reason has been because I've felt like a stuck record who should have been much further down the line in my personal and business successes, yet I sat there today and focused on how very proud I am of purely having purpose.
A huge congratulations to Dale Herbst, who took on Gsport4Girls as if it were and for making sure I didn't leave the event without having met Penny.
To all of the winners & every woman in SA sport, you are an inspiration and an amazing light that shines bright for SA.
Kass ... I can hardly wait to see where us, as the purposeful women of South Africa, will be for the 2014 Gsport4Girls awards.
