There are a lot of amazing women in the world, from every race, gender and class, women who have brought a smile to the hearts of many, giving many hope and belief in the possibility of a better future, a better life. There are women who overcome great odds and still come out on top with class and dignity. I love to see women succeed, making it to the top without sacrificing themselves and their beliefs…There are many who I raise my hat off to, but the women below are the ones that have had the greatest impact on me…:
5. Gail Devers
Why Gail Devers you ask?…I am a Jamaican after all, I should innately despise all American athletes… Well I did, I do, I’m not too sure… I know that I do in fact despise ALL non-Jamaican athletes at all major championships 🙂 I have tunnel vision when watching and the only event I relax with are the ones with no Jamaicans in it… It’s a lot I know but Jamaicans are passionate about athletics and our athletes… I remember back in the 90s when she was on top of her game, I didn’t know her name, but I remember being very upset when she would win every race over Merlene Ottey, I remember thinking who the heck is this chick with her monster nails, can’t she trip or something, Merlene needs a Gold medal! :)… ok, let’s go back to Gail… I first heard about Gail Devers when I was watching TV one boring Saturday evening, and a Lifetime movie came on, “The Gail Devers Story” it depicted her life, her struggles and accomplishments. The movie was about her being on top of her game and suddenly being diagnosed with Graves disease, a thyroid disorder. I remember watching the movie and feeling very emotional, inspired, and motivated. She almost lost her legs, she struggled, everyone gave up on her, but she never gave up on herself that takes guts, strength, conviction and an unwavering belief in herself and her abilities. That was about 10 years ago,… I never forgot.
Gail Devers:
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- Won the Gold medal and sets a national record in 100-meter hurdles at the World Track & Field Championships in 1999.
- Won Gold medal in 60-meter dash at the World Indoor Track & Field Championships – 1993
- Won Gold medals in 100-meter dash and 100-meter hurdles at World Track & Field Championships, the first woman to do this in international competition in 45 years – 1993
- Named one of two top athletes in 1993 (along with fellow track and field star, Michael Johnson) by the U.S. Olympic Committee–1994.
- Won the 100-meter hurdles at the World Track & Field Championships Gold medal in 100-meter dash at the 1996 Summer Olympics, becoming only the second woman in history (the other is Wyomia Tyus) to win back-to-back Olympic Golds in the 100-meter dash; also won a gold medal as part of the 4 × 100-meter relay at the 1996 Olympics–1995-1996.
Gail Devers inspires me because of her spirit, her drive, her innate need to succeed and her never-give-up spirit. She is a person who has risen to the top, overcoming unbelievable circumstances. She never accepted defeat, even though she was at her worst. She fought for what she wanted regardless of the nay-sayers. Gail made me realize that success doesn’t come without failure or adversities, that one has to go through downs to be at the place and the person one is meant to be.
Fae Ellington! She is as Jamaican as you can get! She is in my view, among the Jamaican greats such as Bob Marley, Usain Bolt and Louis Bennett. From all the famous persons on this list, she is the only person I have actually met,… I was an impressionable 4th former, I was a part of the debate team in High School (I was a bit of a nerd), we went to a debate workshop, they promised a surprise guest speaker, in my mind I was thinking “I hope it is a celebrity!”, I have never met a famous person before, I was excited… when they said Fae Ellington, I was like…” YES”!…I finally get to meet her, and I did, I even got an autograph (Yeah me!)… Fae Ellington is a dynamic speaker, she speaks with crisp and clarity she is a strong Jamaican woman who has overcome great adversities and risen to the top. She is one of the few Jamaicans who have embraced the Jamaican Patois, even before it was popular or cool. She has embraced every aspect of the Jamaican culture, she accepts who she is and her culture in its entirety.
Fae Ellington:
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- Received the Order of Distinction, Officer Class in 1998
- Received the Musgrave Bronze Medal in 1998
- Received the Best Director nomination, Actor Boy Awards for Who Will Sing for Lena -2005
Fae Ellington is an inspiration to me because she has shown me that you can have a full productive life after severe personal trauma. Fae was raped in 1981. She wasn’t afraid to share her story; she was strong and fearless; she showed women that we do not have to suffer in silence, even after such a horrendous, heinous act. I raise my hat off to the strong woman that she is.
3. The Most Honorable Portia Simpson Miller O.N., M.P
When I think about The Most Honorable Portia Simpson Miller O.N., M.P, Jamaica’s first female Prime Minister, the words, strong, determined, and resilient, comes to mind. Mrs. Miller is an accurate representation of the broken ‘glass ceiling. She is a formidable woman with drive, tenacity and the ability to overcome adversities. She is from ‘humble beginnings’ as she puts it. She has a caring, kind demeanor and can relate to almost anyone, giving them her signature kiss :).
Mrs. Miller’s political career began in 1974 when she joined the People’s National Party serving as a member of the City Council of Kingston; she later became a Member of Parliament in 1976. She has served as Minister of Labor and Welfare, Sports, Social Security and Sports, and Tourism. Her first Ministerial appointment was as the Minister of Labor, Welfare and Sports in 1989.
Mrs. Miller:
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- Was named as one of Time Magazine “100 Most Influential Persons in the World” in 2012.
- Is Jamaica’s first female Prime Minister.
- Received the Bureau of Women’s Affairs Award for outstanding contribution to the advancement of women’s affairs in Jamaica.
- Was the leading architect of Jamaica’s Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism Development
Mrs. Miller inspires me because she reminds me that it doesn’t matter where you are from, it doesn’t matter your financial or social situation, you can be whoever you want to be with hard work, determination and a never-give-up spirit. Mrs. Miller is an unpretentious, real woman who doesn’t apologize for who she Is, or where she comes from. I may not support her political party or agree with the direction in which she is taking my country, but I can support and raise my hat off to the fabulous, formidable woman that she is.
2. Beyonce
People who know me, know that I’m a bit of a Beyonce fanatic, I love her style, her music, how she carries herself… I know every song, every album, I’ve watched all her movies (even Carmen: A Hip Hopera:)), I know every milestones – from Destiny’s Child to now (Don’t judge!). She is the epitome of the modern day woman: she looks fabulous; she is independent; she has a family; she has her own business, and she does things her way.
You have to be living under a rock for the past decade to not know who Beyonce is. Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She is a dynamic performer, a sweetheart, a stellar musician and a philanthropist.
Beyonce is the:
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- First and only female artist headline England’s Glastonbury Festival (World’s biggest Greenfield music and performing arts festival and a template for all the festivals that have come after it.).
- First international female artist in history to have an album – I Am… Sasha Fierce is certified 2x Diamond in Brazil.
- 1st black musician last decade with a Vogue Italia cover.
- First female artist ever to win EMA’s Best video award.
- Artist with the most weeks at #1 on Pop Radio chart this decade.
- 1st and only black artist in history to cover Forbes Magazine.
- The youngest artist to be awarded with Legend Award at the World Music Awards.
- Female artist with the most Grammy nominations ever with 41.
- Black female artist with the most magazine covers ever (over 300).
- Female artist with the most viewed video ever–“Single Ladies” with over 520 million views.
- First and only woman to have a single and album simultaneously topping the main charts in both the U.S. and the UK (2003).
- First African-American female and second overall female to win the “Songwriter of the Year” award from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Pop Music Awards (2001).
- And the list goes on.
Beyonce inspires me for all the reasons stated above and the fact that she is a go-getter. She doesn’t settle for mediocre; she will work her ass off to get what she wants. She inspires me because she lets me see that any and everything is possible once you are prepared to put in the work. She isn’t afraid to be sexy, she is not afraid to be who she is and embraces herself “flaws n all”. She reminds me that a woman can indeed have it all, a killer body, a fabulous family and a rocking career.
1. My Mommy
She is not a famous person; she does not have a fancy list of accomplishments; she is not known and loved by millions; she is, however, loved and adored by me. She is my mom. Mommy is a very hands on mom, she will call endlessly just to make sure that we close a window (even though we don’t need her to do that), she will call me at work and dare I not answer because she will call and call and call, until I answer, sometimes she just have a simple question like what time are you coming home?! My mom is the epitome of resilient. She has overcome so much and, being the very best mother to her kids. My mom will and have given her all just to make sure that we are ok, she will move mountains if it means providing a better life for us or even getting a textbook we need. She has sacrificed so much just to make sure that her kids have a better life than she did… she is the best mother ever; she is selfless, caring (sometimes too much :)), considerate, strong, reliable, helpful, loving… I cannot fathom my life without her.
Sources:
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/64169_Fae-Ellington–Journeys-through-the-bitter-and-the-sweet,
http://thecaribbeancurrent.com/portia-simpson-first-and-only-female-prime-minister-of-jamaica ,
Simply Marvia 