So here's what I did..

I thought to myself, "well Edwards, you can either sit on your chuff and keep saying you want to do this stuff, or you can actually see how you can make it happen"


My life has been a good one, but one thing I wasn't gifted with, was an abundance of self confidence.  I can encourage the next guy to the end of the earth, but when it comes to myself, self doubt creeps in pretty quickly.  I came from a upbringing that didn't really push the 'dream', but luckily over the past few years I have been blessed with a couple of friends who really believe I can do it.  


One of these amazing people has already inspired me in more ways than she can possibly imagine.  She lives a life I can only aspire to, she is not only beautiful both inside and out, but a mentor to many, and an inspiration to me. Life has thrown her some pretty tough situations, but every time she has risen to the challenge.  She has taught in places such as Samoa and Tanzania and she now works as a mentor to teachers in the the less travelled parts of Malaysia.  I'm also blessed to have another friend who tells me repeatedly that "I will achieve this dream, I will make this happen, it will happen because I want it to" this might not sound much, but its not a message I've been on the receiving end of very often.  


On arrival back to Auckland after my couple of days away, the first thing I did was look up Cassandra Treadwell's charity So they Can  and from here I emailed her, and explained my dream.  I was fortunate enough to receive a reply back within the hour, thank you Cassandra, it was just the the encouragement I needed to realise this could actually become a reality.  
  

And then it happened.

May 2012 -  NYLD Wellington

Recently I was fortunate enough to escort 10 of the student leaders from Pomaria Primary School to Wellington to attend the NYLD conference at the Michael Fowler Centre.  

NYLD is an annual event held at a number of main centres around New Zealand, it's aim to ignite the spark within our potential leaders of tomorrow.  Every year the event is filled with inspirational role models, 2012 was no different.  The eyes of my charges lit up at they listened to the adventures of Jamie Fitzgerald as he regaled them with stories of rowing the Atlantic and walking across Antarctica, they laughed with CameronCalkoen who despite being born with Cerebral Palsy, has gone on to become an international athlete, and successful public speaker.  

But for me the defining moment was the first speaker after the break for morning tea.  To be honest I had skimmed through the list of speakers on the flight down and had totally missed the name Cassandra Treadwell, if I had known what was coming, I still could not have been prepared for it's impact.  

So blown away by the content of her presentation, I found tears streaming down my face as my fingers were frantically texting a friend to share that I was hearing first hand what could quite possibly be answer to my dream.   My mind was racing, I was punching as many details as possible into my phone, so I wouldn't forget a thing.  I had to contact this amazing woman, I had to know more....

Sea Anchor or Keep Rowing?

So They Can