Julia Ryall (*) is the 2014 Inspire Award (*) Winner. She is an amazing person and a most worthy recipient. Here are a few words in support:
Julia has been a member of the club for over 10 years now. She has been the Women’s Dragon Coach for at least 10 years and as such a member of the committee also. She has therefore been a key contributor the functioning of the club, and the creation and shaping of its culture - it's values and ideals [along with our dreams].Congratulations Julia.
Most importantly Julia provides Inspiration to all in her leadership role.
[Leadership and] Inspiration is the key to allowing people to achieve things that deep down we know we can, but often can’t achieve on our own.
The writer David Foster Wallace describes this kind of Leadership as a “mysterious quality, hard to define, but we always know it when we see”. So for me, I know I have seen it with Julia. Rarely I have seen it, experienced it in the community I live, my workplace or the sports I have participated, but feel fortunate to have experienced and seen that mysterious quality through Julia.
She has always been there for us. Sometimes it is hard to be leader, but a real leader does not shy away from difficult decisions, particularly when it is the best for the team.
This year Julia was not able to paddle due to the impending arrival of their first child, Zach. This did not stop her from being on the front of the boat, when she could, coaching us to be the best we can. Drawing out of us, what we knew we could always do, but were afraid to face, maybe due to a lack of self-belief or the fear of failing.
In February, I was privileged to see Julia at her natural best, to motivate the PD’s Women’s team prior to their record 8th time win of the CNY. Her pre-race talk was completely inspiring and there was not dry eye and everyone knew what they had to do to become who they always knew they could be. And, many feel the successful result of that day would not have been achieved without Julia’s leadership, her words, her inspiration. She inspired the team to be achieve what they always knew they could do.
There are dozens of other instances of this and one I can fondly recount is her role as co-Campaign and sole-Regatta [Head] Coach for Macau 2010. She lead us to be the World Club Champions for the Premier Mixed 500m Event. Again her pre-race talk, motivated us to believe in ourselves to become world champions that day.
Julia creates, leads, unifies and motivates a team, and the individuals within it. She is the true essence of the word inspiration.
When the swell and the wind combine to treat us to runners,
when the boat run is magical and the sun shines on our backs,
when the water is warm and dolphins swim beside us,
when a rainbow forms overhead or gold hangs warmly on our chests,
when there is a splash, a laugh, a smile or an embrace,
when each individual feels a sense of achievement and
when the team is proud…
We will think of Jen. And, she’ll be there, smiling, shining, sharing the moment.
Always.
Julia Ryall - Tue 30 Jun 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment