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A few years ago, after realising her current work situation didn’t challenge or stimulate her enough, Esther Watson began craving something more.

 

One day she had a vision to organize an exclusive wheelchair race for disabled people in South Africa. Knowing that her energy came from new challenges and new ventures and with the support of those close to her, she achieved her dream.

 

Last July, Esther was a double winner at the Shoprite Checkers/Woman of the Year Awards, winning the sport category, and then being declared the overall winner of the competition.

 

This multi-award winner also received a Certificate of Outstanding Achievement from Minister of Health Western Cape in 2006, an honorary award from George Sports Academy for role in promoting sport in George, and National Judge Albie Sachs OTASA 2007 Award in July 2007.

 

Esther admits she is not used to all the attention, glamour, and special treatment she has received during this past year, but says she used her national recognition to benefit the wheelchair race and sport for the disabled in general.

 

Esther is also a voluntary law enforcement officer, she has her own radio program, and she still maintains a happy family life. As they say, all in a day’s work!

 

Introducing gsport’s August Woman, Esther Watson!

Where do you live?

 

I live in George – die City for all reasons (Southern Cape) but was born in Gauteng, studied in the Free State and have two brothers and a sister in four provinces!

 

 It’s been just over a year since you won the Shoprite Checkers Woman of the Year award. What was it like being celebrated on a national level for your work in sport?

 

I am not sure that even after one year I am used to all the attention, glamour and special treatment, I received during this year. This left me with a very humble feeling and gratefulness for the talents I received freely and I can only strive to use them to the benefit of people less fortunate than I.

 

Sport is a vehicle for change, awareness and development. Sport for the disabled takes much more courage than able-bodied sport, because not only does a disabled person have to use abilities that is limited, but he/she often faces prejudge of  able bodied sportspersons’ attitudes.

 

The recognition on a national level gave us, as the organizing committee, the opportunity to reach the dream that we had namely: to make the Outeniqua Wheelchair Challenge (OCC) a household name in SA, we want South Africa to associate the OCC with a) George b) February (annually) c) Disabled Road race. National recognition is an honor and I used that to the benefit of the race and sport for the disabled in general.

What prompted you to start the first ever marathon for disabled people in South Africa?

 

Every person that strives to live life to its fullest will have a dream to stimulate change and leave some monument behind that could benefit other people’s lives, but also by which one can be remembered. My energy comes from new challenges and new ventures.

 

I realized in 2002 that by doing the same job from day to day, not having hope for myself or the disabled people I work with, gave me no challenge any more and no motivation to get up in the morning. I had a strong feeling of hopelessness for myself, but also felt that the disabled persons in the poorer communities have lost their own hope and lost their own abilities to challenge their own disability.

 

I spent a lot of time on my knees, praying, crying and fighting with myself and God. I needed a change and I needed it NOW! But there was a bigger plan in all of this, and when I was really getting desperate, God gave me a vision, but the dream came with no textbook and no details – just a clear vision to organize and create an exclusive wheelchair race for disabled people in South Africa! The rest is history…

When did you host the first race, and how did you manage to organise it?

 

The organization of the OCC started in May 2002 and at the time, George Municipality were in the process of hosting a wheels festival and invited the disabled community to become involved in a whatsoever event/activity. The day the first wheels festival meeting was held (a Thursday – I was not invited at the time), was the specific day that I decided not to get out of bed the next morning unless God gave me a plan or vision to change my life and my work environment.

The next day, Friday, I had my plan and Hansie Cronje (former president of SWD Sport for Disabled) who was present on the wheels festival meeting, sent a message to the Rehabilitation Forum Southern Cape (where he knew all professionals working in the disabled community will be present) to ask for a possible project. It was a perfect start!

 

We started with a small committee of 5 members,of which one was the helper of a quadriplegic lady. We had no money, no business plan, no mission statement, just the vision and passion to organize a race for persons in wheelchairs.  Our first step was to organize a launch and hope that we would be able to motivate sponsors to get involved in the unique concept – but to organize a launch, one needs money and food and a party –

Each of the 5 persons donated R100 and with a box of red wine and white wine, we had ourselves a party and invited EVERYBODY with money and also those who think they have money!!

We knew nothing, not even how to sell a water table and what does “selling” a water table actually mean. t we asked, we looked around, we tried, failed but succeeded most of the times and 5 months later, we had the first OCC with 27 athletes participating in a half marathon down the Outeniqua pass in George and a budget of R72 000.

What has been the public response to the race?

Right from the first launch up till now it is just incredible to see people’s interest, their support and their kindness. The entire George comes to a standstill on the day of the event (which is now in February annually) and cheer, support and assist in whatever way they see fit. During the 2007 race there were approximately 500 volunteers involved. The George business makes up the bulk of supplier sponsors.

There are of course those who support the race enthusiastically, till the day of the race and the main roads in George is closed for the race… but they are by far in the minority.

 

The fact that the athlete numbers have doubled every year, also underlines the importance and need in the persons with physical disability’s lives to participate and enjoy a day especially reserved for them.

 

Why do you think sport is so important to the growth of South Africa?

 

Sport is the only vehicle to challenge people’s attitudes, test their physical and mental abilities and reach to far corners where there was no hope, no infrastructure and no dreams. Sport changes your own life and challenges yourself to heights or to abilities long forgotten.

 

We need that in South Africa, a deep search in yourself, to overcome prejudice, hatred and build a spirit that will unite us as a nation, over colour, race and physical dis(a)bilites.

 

gsport’s theme for August is Support. Why have you chosen to support disabled athletes?

 

Working as an Occupational Therapist for the last 22 years, I have a strong sense of the wonderful qualities and abilities that the persons with disabilities have. I also have good knowledge of the little support disabled people in South Africa receive from the Government, the general public and community.

  

My compassion (is) for the less privileged, the disabled, the person with the sadness in his/her eyes, the one’s that life gave the cold shoulder to, those are where my heart really is. It was a natural choice to choose persons with disabilities, but I knew if I did, I backed a winner!

 

The OCC gave me an opportunity to help restore dignity in disabled people’s lives.

 

What are your other current projects?

 

I work as a full time OT in the community and the OCC still gets done part-time. I am however also involved in HIV awareness projects, and other projects including:

•    Coordinator and founder member, Community Toy Library, George;

•    Volunteer Law Enforcement Officer;
•    Radio Presenter at Local Radio Station – own Program “Pluk die dag”;
•    Founder member Access Toegang Ukufikeleleka George (negotiating physical access for the disabled);
•    South Western Districts Sport for Disabled;
•    George Sports Club for the Disabled;
•    A founder members of stimulation program for pre-school children and training of informal crèche teachers;
•    Coordinator of informal training to crèches and day care centers; and
•    One of the founder members of Rehabilitation Forum Southern Cape Karoo

 

Tell us about your other most significant achievements:

 

It is first of all important to state very clearly that starting/initiating projects to get national or public recognition, does not reflect a passion for the project. Award recognition is great, but it was never the driving force behind my dream and my initiative.

 

I have received the following awards:
•    National Judge Albie Sachs OTASA 2007 Award in July 2007
•    Shoprite Checkers /SABC 2 Woman of the Year 2006 Award
•    Shoprite Checkers / SABC 2 Award category winner: Sport  2006
•    Coordinator of Outeniqua Wheelchair Challenge (2002 – 2007) (Budget: R1,900.000.00)
•    Certificate of Outstanding Achievement from Minister of Health Western Cape in 2006
•    Merit Certificate from George Council for Outeniqua Wheelchair Challenge 2006
•    Nominated Citizen of the Year – Eastern Cape Herald
•    Honorary award from George Sports Academy for role in promoting sport in George in general and for the disabled
•    Hansie Cronje honorary trophy from SWD Sport for Disabled for promotion and organization of a special event and sport for disabled.

 

What inspires you?

 

The beauty of nature, the laugh of a child, the smile in my husband eyes. The fact that I know that my heart is in the right place for the right people, and to see long-forgotten abilities come to victory, like when a 90 year old wheelchair bound person crosses the finish line in the fun event in the OCC.

 

Who are your role models?

 

I do not have a specific person or persons as role models, I try to take qualities from different people that cross my path and build my character. I try to learn from other people and their actions.

 

I relate to people who are reliable and wise, and that can commit themselves to a passion or a dream. I find common ground from people who are hard working, humble but have a strong sense of self-confidence.  

 

What’s the best career advice you’ve been given?

 

Winners train and losers complain!

 

What is your favourite spectator sport?

 

Anything really, till somebody gets hurt, or loses – then I do not like to watch anymore, my heart just breaks. I NEVER watch the cutoff gun for the different times in the Comrades.

 

It is just too much, and I cry every time if I happen to pass the TV, and my eye fall on it. I am not good with watching a team or individual lose, my heart just aches for them, they have given their best, but it was just not good enough.

 

Who is your favourite sports star?

 

Krige Schabort – he is a South African, living in Atlanta (USA) and is a wheelchair marathon athlete. He is 44 years old, but gives younger athletes like our own Ernst van Dyk,(also on my shortlist) and some of the world’s best wheelchair marathon athletes a run for their money!

 

He has a wonderful, warm personality and is one of the most humble persons I have ever met. He lost both his legs and became disabled in the Angola/Namibia war but Krige is a winner, mentally and physically, and are a role model for young wheelchair athletes and myself as an able bodied person.

 

How do you keep fit?

 

My favorite sport is a book and a bed… My whole life is one big rush and my work keep me literally on my knees and on the floor with all the disabled babies/children, so reckon I get enough of up’s and down’s daily. If I really need to get rid of frustrations, I walk or go to Curves (a lady’s only gym)

 

What is your biggest joy in life?

 

The love of my friends, the support and strength I draw from them and my OCC committee when they are down and out the day before and after the event, but still smile and ask” where do you need me next?…”

 

How do you relax?

 

Once a year my husband and I go on a camping holiday somewhere in Africa for two or three weeks. The further away from civilization, the better.

 

I suffer with heating up bath water on the fire, and shaking sand out of my sleeping bag, but is gives me a change to recharge and reconnect with my dearest husband who is also my biggest supporter.

 

During the work year, there is not much time, but bird watching is one of the activities I enjoy very much. I just find it difficult to sit still sometimes for such a long time.

 

gsport strives to celebrate femininity. How would you define femininity?

 

Once, twice, three times a lady. Femininity often gets confused with being a woman.

 

Femininity is a special quality that makes a lady stand out in a crowd, not with her beauty as such, or the way she dresses, or the way she speaks, but the special way in which she can hold her head high despite of troubles, a bad “hair day’ or a rainy day.

 

Femininity is a lady that can adapt to any situation, who can get down on her knees to wipe a tear of a face, or can dine with the president. Femininity is a lady with dignity and grace, even if the world does not give her that credit.

 

How do you balance your career with your role as a woman in SA?

 

Time management is one of my strongest points and beliefs. To juggle a career, a full time voluntary event manager job, and my role as woman takes quite a juggle… I surround myself with a strong support system, my few but special friends, I have an emancipated husband that can cook, clean and keep the household in my absence.

 

It is a hard task, but we as women can make it harder for ourselves. We often go on a “guilt trip” if we spend time on our own, or if there is no sugar in the house this morning… why?

 

We need to organize our roles as woman so that our husbands, kids etc will all contribute to the household systems. We need to take up the role that we dream of and hope to be “one day”.

 

What’s the best thing about being a woman?

 

That we have hidden abilities that men do not expect of us, and in that way we are one step ahead of them! We have natural caring personalities, yet we can gracefully take our place around the negotiating table and prove a point without much fuss.

 

We can cry on our loved ones’ shoulders, but we do not have to be weak. We can be free to scream, laugh out loud and cry… and we call it “woman things…” what a wonderful official excuse!  

As we celebrate Women’s Month, what is your advice to women?

 

Never ever be ashamed of who you are, trust your hope and not your fears. Be the person you believed as a small girl you would become – the one in your dreams, she is there… search for her.

 

Greatest ambition?

 

I have various ambitions, but for now, my dream is to develop the OCC into a series in South Africa. I want to organize four events in four cities around South Africa, so that the ordinary person in a wheelchair, the one in the shack, living in the far north of our country, will have the opportunity to participate in the OCC at little or no cost.

 

There are still hundreds of ordinary people in wheelchairs that can also, and need to enjoy the victory and the feeling of success in winning a medal, even if it is only for participation.