SPAR Women’s Challenge brand ambassador takes on the world
One of the Pretoria SPAR Women’s Challenge brand ambassadors has been selected to represent South Africa at the Ms World pageant.
Helga Barkhuizen, one of the 2016 Pretoria SPAR Women’s Challenge brand ambassadors has been named Runner Up to the Crown of Ms. Woman of Achievement International 2016.
She also won the ‘Philosophy of Life’ category and the ‘Inspiration Award’ for her community platform ‘With Grace & Gratitude’. Two days after these Ms. Woman of Achievement International competition, Helga was informed that she has been selected to represent South Africa at the Ms World pageant.
Helga, aged 31, who lost her leg in a car accident two years ago was selected as a race ambassador in recognition of her absolute triumph over the challenges that life had thrown her way and because she absolutely epitomized this year’s race theme of gratitude.
In speaking about her success at Ms. Woman of Achievement International Helga said that she felt proud to be representing South Africa. “With this participation for our country I’ve officially become the first disabled model to compete in an International Pageant and come as far as I did.
With this being said, Ms. Woman of Achievement is not nearly as big as Ms. World and by extension it is an incredibly humbling experience having been chosen to participate and represent our beautiful country.”
Ms. World encourages and empowers the women of today and provides each candidate the opportunity for personal growth, self-expression and development – through stage presence, public speaking and international travel opportunities. Helga says that her involvement in both of these competitions was inspired by her involvement in this this year’s SPAR Women’s Challenge campaign. “It reminded me why I had to stand on a stage and speak about why life is important, why it should be celebrated and why pushing through problems is the only way to get through life, because the other end feels so much more rewarding than having been handed something than having worked for it and having made that difference.”
“When I stepped into the Atterbury Theatre to attend the Spar’s Women’s Challenge Pretoria Race Launch I was taken by the fact that my life had opened its arms to people once before and that for the past two years I had forgotten that. Thank you Spar! #IamGrateful!”
Helga’s words of inspiration to all the ladies taking part in this year’s race are “Never let life get you down. Never lose faith in yourself. Never lose sight of love. Always forgive others to set yourself free. Live a life of hope, faith, love, forgiveness and freedom – you’ll be amazed at the results.”
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