“You’re not disabled by the
disabilities you have. You are able by the abilities you have.” (Oscar Pistorius)
Oscar drew a large crowd at his heat and his
semi-final race at the Olympics last week. Though he didn’t win, he inspired
the world. Immediately after finishing his heat, the heat winner and world
champion Kirani James, swopped his pinned-on name label with Pistorius, as they
shared a great big hug. James told reporters, “He’s an inspiration for all
of us. It’s an honour competing against that guy. What he does takes a lot of
courage. He’s a great individual.”
Last week’s Olympics also saw South African swimmer,
Chad Le Cros, winning gold and beating his biggest competitor and boyhood hero,
Michael Phelps. Chad’s father became an internet sensation overnight after his
emotional interview with a BBC reporter. He’s been hailed as the most
supportive father in the world and has even been loaded onto parenting sites
all over the world as an example of a supportive father. The interview is
perceived as one of the emotional highlights of the games.
These are just two of the stories that belong to us.
We are filled with stories of success, they make us proud to be associated with
our South African Olympians. In the same way, we have performance stories to
share about LRMG. We have moments of emotion where we have witnessed people’s
lives change. We’ve watched organisations transform. Let’s tell those stories.
As we walk into women’s week, let’s be the people that
communicate and share our valuable experiences. Let’s tell the stories and
write our own history. Let’s celebrate our hero(in)es, humbly and
appropriately.
Have a great week.
Cheers,
Joanne Sharpe
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