Wonder Women: Women Who Lead initiative launched

Carla Donson

OPINION

One of the highlights of this year has been the launch of our Women Who Lead (WWL) series in partnership with Sport Whanganui and the team at The Barracks Sports Bar.

When we lifted the lid on this initiative with our first special guest Cath Cheatley back in September, it was the culmination of almost a year of planning and years spent dreaming. I had long been pondering about how we could continue the impetus that is generated from the success of our festivals which provide such an important platform for showcasing the unique and diverse skills of women across our community.

The concept of WWL was a way to do this, ensuring that women had opportunities throughout the year to remain engaged and connected with women’s leadership, and with each other. Then, as it did in so many ways, the global pandemic arrived and caused us all to hit the pause button on many dreams and plans that we had in motion. Ultimately, it also provided us with opportunities to realise what was most important to our communities.

The journey of WWL itself mirrors the lived experiences of the women that we showcase, in which dreams and aspirations are achieved through grit, determination, and the belief of some very important cheerleaders.

The final instalment of our series wrapped up a couple of weeks ago with our final guest speaker, Kristy Humphries. Kristy is proudly Whanganui born and raised, with the steadfast belief of her mum cheering her on through all of life’s twists and turns.

She has succeeded in business, notably with the opening of the Hair By Halo business partnership in her early 20s which quickly carved a new niche in hairdressing in Whanganui at the time. Since then, Kristy has raised a beautiful family among other business ventures and a double diagnosis of breast cancer. Her honesty and tenacity throughout this experience is truly remarkable, as is her willingness to share this with others.

There are important lessons about vulnerability, about the support and care of a loving family, and about how to remain visible and vocal in a health system that continues to remain less than perfect. Above all, there is also the determination to make a difference for others.

Kristy has achieved this in spades with the success of her Pink Ribbon fundraising efforts over the last couple of years. From helping out previously with a Pink Ribbon breakfast event, Kristy decided to run a Cocktails and Canapes event which turned out to be a hugely successful experience and raised around $13,000 last year.

The fundraising buzz had well and truly kicked in and with the generous support that she had received from the community she decided to up the ante and take on running a ball, after all, how hard could it be? And so, the Pink Ribbon Ball came to life.

Having set herself a target to raise twice what she had at the previous event, the ball came in at around $50,000, almost quadrupling Kristy’s first fundraising effort. With the proceeds being donated to the Breast Cancer Foundation, this is an important boost for breast cancer research and resourcing. It has also provided Kristy with continued healing in her desire to give back to a community that has offered her so much support.

Living legacies like this are essentially love in motion. I’m looking forward to seeing where Women Who Lead takes us in 2024. We will be launching our new year series during La Fiesta when our February guest returns home to share her remarkable story of life as an elite sportswoman and Olympian, and now an astute businesswoman and champion for women in sport. I’ll leave you to guess who you think it might be.

For now, stay tuned for more on what’s heading your way during La Fiesta 2024, the 15th celebration of NZ’s Best Women’s Fest. Mark your calendars for February 10 to March 10, it’s going to be something special.

■ Carla Donson - Email: womnet.whanganui@gmail.com