Edwina, 52 – The 50 Over 50 Women’s Portrait Campaign Experience

 

Edwina, 52

Where are you from, and where do you currently live?

From South Africa and currently living in Hout Bay, Cape Town.

 

If your friends were to describe you, what would they say?

Compassionate, determined and giving.

 

What is your favourite quote or saying?

Make your own happiness
Don’t steal my sunshine – this stops negativity around me as I won’t let somebody
else’s negativity and glass-half-empty mentality ruin my mood.

 

What would you say you are most proud of?

Having given this some thought I suddenly realized that I am incredibly proud of having walked away from a bad work situation when I was in my early twenties.

I was in a foreign country without any money or a flight ticket to get home, but I walked away as it would not have been good for me to stay.

Through my resilience, inner strength and perseverance I turned that into a great adventure and went on to travel the world and see some amazing places.

I now constantly call on that same strength moving forward in my life as I am capable of getting over obstacles and putting myself in a better position.

I know my worth and my value and I won’t let anybody diminish that.

I have been fortunate enough to live in many countries and this has allowed my daughters to be well-traveled and given them a better perspective on the world

as a whole which in turn has broadened their horizons and opened their eyes to possibilities and life beyond South Africa if they wished to explore it.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Don’t be afraid to be alone, as by being alone you find your strength and who you really are.

Love the way you look because when you look back on pictures of your younger self you will see how stunning you were.

Enjoy every minute of your life as you discover yourself and start your life journey.

Be okay with making mistakes as that is how you figure out what you like and what you don’t and ignore people that laugh at your mistakes.

They aren’t important in your life and will have no impact on your future,

 

 

What is a goal or dream you still wish to accomplish?

Covid woke up something in me and I realized how empty my life actually was.

I felt unfulfilled and wanted to leave my mark on the world when it is time for me to cross my rainbow bridge.

It took me a while to find my way here, but I found something that just spoke to me and would allow me to give back.

So whilst working full-time and being a full-time Mum to my two amazing girls, I have studied to become a health coach through a UK-registered academy.

In South Africa this profession is still gaining traction, but it has been going for over 20 years in the United States and the United Kingdom.

If there is a part of your life that you are unhappy with – low energy, weight that is creeping on, stressed, not sleeping well, feel like you have lost your identity and don’t know what your purpose is anymore,

or you’re looking for your joie de vivre, I can help you find the answers you are looking for and bring your life and health back to where you would like it to be and have you thriving every day instead of just surviving.

For me that is a great gift to give somebody and their family as it will allow them to be around for longer and to thoroughly enjoy the time they still have together.

People have become a lot more aware of health and wellness since Covid and my approach as a health coach is very holistic and

we look at your life as a whole and see what is working and what is not working for you.

I am currently in the process of opening my health coaching practice which is extremely exciting and I have signed my first clients.

I work with mature-agers entering the fun stage of their lives and wanting to

achieve the most from this stage and I can’t wait to get stuck in and start making a change in people’s lives.

I also have the beginning of a book that I would like to finish at some point – my journey of self-discovery – “A Trip Too Far”– so it might take me a while to complete.

A few other things that I will definitely be doing is hiking the Great Wall of China as well as the Alps in Switzerland and I want to take a road trip through Italy and discover the lakes.

All the things I had intended on doing before having children, but now that they are grown up, it allows me the perfect opportunity to return to my list of wants and dreams and to tick these off one by one.

 

What are your thoughts on ageing?

Unfortunately, we’re all going to age – it is a natural progression of life, so I am of the view that I am going to give it a kick in the pants.

I have seen too many people feel that because their bodies are not behaving like it should, and they can’t do the things they used to enjoy and things are starting to go wrong,

they should just let it be and go with the flow. ABSOLUTELY NOT!

As we age we earn the right and have the freedom to do what we want and try new things and have fun.

We have worked hard our entire lives to get to this point so let’s ensure that we absolutely LIVE IT.

I feel that we now have permission to be a bit cheeky and to say F*&#k It.

That’s why I am so happy to have discovered health coaching as I am able to help us mature folk find our inner spark again regain the love of our bodies

and health and find our purpose and rediscover fun again.

We all only have one life and I for one, am damn well going to make sure that I live it.

Hair and makeup: Donna Hay

Donna and I had such a great with Edwina and her daughters.  I did a lovely combination of portraits for them.

First, some portraits of Edwina on her own for the ‘The 50 Over 50 Women’s Portrait Campaign’, and then with both her daughters, and then some individual portraits.

I love capturing professional portraits of teenage and early 20s daughters in my studio for several reasons. It’s a unique way to freeze a moment in time, honoring those precious years and creating lasting memories.

Moreover, these portraits can boost confidence and self-esteem. As young women navigate the challenges of adolescence and early adulthood,

having a collection of beautifully crafted images can serve as a powerful reminder of their individuality and strength, and is a celebration of the bond between a mother and her daughters.