16 November 2022
At a recent Glacier webinar titled, A few great men, hosted to commemorate the month of Movember, two speakers unpacked what it means to ‘man up’ in these times of uncertainty and in an era where integrity, care and servant leadership seem to be in short supply.
Ryan Stramrood, inspirational speaker, performance coach and extreme swimmer who has completed 124 Robben Island-to-mainland crossings and swam solo across the notorious English Channel, shared his journey of challenge and discovery, and how to maintain our passion and commitment and to be resilient in the toughest of circumstances. “You don’t have to be an extreme athlete to push yourself to the limits’, says Ryan. “My message is to encourage everyone to get up off the couch. Dismiss the hundreds of excuses that are in your head that prevent you from achieving your dreams and goals. The excuses come from fear of failing.”
What’s your ‘Ice Mile’?
Swimming the Ice Mile in the Antarctic Ocean was one of Ryan’s dreams. The temperature in the Southern Ocean is anywhere from -2°C to 10°C. Setting this record and achieving his personal goal were what drove him to plunge into the icy waters and swim the Antarctica Ice Mile in 2014. The water temperature was -1°C. A mile is equivalent to 1.6km. The question is: What’s your Ice Mile and what will you do to achieve it?
It's all about you (and everyone else around you)
Dr Imtiaz Sooliman is medical doctor and founder of the Gift of the Givers, a non-governmental organisation well-known for their humanitarian efforts, arguably in every corner of the globe. He shared how the organisation started and how they have helped millions of people in dire circumstances around the world. “We are a disaster response organisation. I personally have travelled to 45 countries around the globe and never on holiday or as a tourist. You could think of us as disaster tourists.”
Food security; fresh water supply; search-and-rescue efforts following natural disasters; humanitarian aid in war-torn regions. These are some of the services that Gift of the Givers provides around the world and locally. “We don’t see race, religion, culture, nationality, class or gender,” says Dr Sooliman. “A person in need is a human being. That’s it for us”. Gift of the Givers has gone wherever people have needed help, from the war in Bosnia in the early 90s to digging boreholes in Africa; to rebuilding homes and lives in places where natural disasters have wiped out entire suburbs and communities.
Is there hope for South Africa?
Dr Sooliman is most upbeat when he talks about South Africa. “There is so much hope here. Yes, there is corruption and violent crime, and we must deal with this. But there are more people in this country who want South Africa to work and prosper than those who are treacherous and with an anti-patriotic agenda. South Africa doesn’t belong to the government. It belongs to the 65 million people who call it home.” We need to support the people in government, corporates, NGOs, traditional healing sector and the religious sector who are working hard to make a difference in the lives of people.
Investors believe in our potential. They are ready to invest in our future. The question is: Are we ready to commit to our own growth as South Africans?
Importantly, everyone can help, and you don’t have to volunteer at Gift of the Givers to do it, says Dr Sooliman. “Start where you are, in your own space”, he says. “Help your family, support and nurture your children, feed your hungry neighbours, teach people if you can, help the organisations in your neighbourhood.” You don’t have to travel far to find people in need.
Dr Sooliman lists just four principles that we need to instil in ourselves, our families, our companies, government departments and parastatals that will ensure our prosperity in South Africa. They are:
- Spirituality
- Morality
- Values
- Ethics
With these four principles firmly in place in every South African, as a country, we will not struggle with financial challenges and will make huge progress for generations to come.
