Braveheart

Attadale Rotary Club President Colin McCulloch was delighted to welcome Shona Davies as the Guest Speaker at the Club meeting on Monday 27th November at Tompkins on Swan. Shona was an Exchange Student from South Africa and came to the Club in 1995. Colin also had great pleasure in welcoming her host families from that time Pam & Mike Wadsworth, Jacquie & Mike Cox and current Attadale members Jim & Jenny Calcei.

Meeting up with Shona again brought back many fond memories for them all. Shona, now aged 40, is part of the crew aboard the Clipper 'Dare to Lead' which arrived in Fremantle the previous Sunday. Shona played a video about life on board a clipper. There was no doubt about how rough and tough it can be.

Shona will be taking part in three legs of the race which will see her travel some 15,000 nautical miles, half way round the world from Cape Town to China.

After years of struggling with anxiety and depression, Shona had a devastating breakdown at the end of 2015 as she had been working long hours and travelling as Chief Operating Officer for a major British company with Overseas interests. She realised she needed to get back into doing things she loved but had lost. She had loved sailing and this was what led her into becoming part of the Clipper Round the World event which she described as the experience of her life. Her delightful personality, enthusiasm and willingness to share the good and bad times she has lived through were refreshing and extremely inspirational.

This was a wonderful presentation from a young woman showing her bravery both in sailing and with her own personal journey.

Pictured are Jim & Jenny Calcei, Mike & Pam Wadsworth, Guest Speaker Shona Davies and Jacquie & Mike Cox.