Welcome to 2020
It is our first blog of 2020 and let’s just say - we are hyped for the year. A lot of you will still be in holiday mode which is great (we kind of are too). It is that time of year where you leave work to head to the beach ASAP! However, we are really excited for all that 2020 has in store. Last year there was so much awesome stuff going on in the road safety space all around NZ. We hope that you have had a nice relaxing summer whatever you have been doing, and we also hope that you have been looking out for your mates on the roads!
A big part of our job as the SADD team is to give young people a voice and platform in the road safety space. We do this in lots of different ways, and are always open to ideas and thoughts. So if you have any great ideas for the blog, for campaigns, for social media etc, please do not hesitate to get in touch via email or phone. We love hearing your ideas!
To kick off the 2020 on the blog we thought we would introduce our two new team members who are starting this week! We are lucky to have them and a lot of you will be getting to know them a lot more over the year, but we thought we would give you a little head start.
MIA - UPPER NORTH DELIVERY LEAD
If you were stuck on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?
Boxing gloves, water, surf board
What made you want to work for SADD?
I always look for ways to contribute to the development of people, in particular Youth. The teens from today are our tomorrow. It excites me to know I can empower students to become great role models for road safety and help them to develop successful strategies. I look forward to inspiring and being inspired.
If you had to eat the same breakfast for the rest of this year, what would you have?
Wow that is a really tough question...omelette (spinach, avocado, sprouts) nuts and a black coffee with lots of cinnamon :)
What were you doing work-wise before SADD?
Before I came on board with SADD I was working as the Instructor Coordinator for AA Driving School in the Head Office in Auckland. Most of my past years I worked in several gyms as Fitness Coordinator, Gym Manager or Personal Trainer. My background is in Sports Science and therefore I am highly passionate about health and wellbeing. I love being around active people with positive energy. I enjoy teaching others how to develop into healthy and happy people.
If you woke up tomorrow as an animal, what animal would you choose to be and why?
I would love to be a butterfly. A butterfly goes through stages of transformation starting from being a caterpillar. It struggles to get out of the cocoon, but once it has mastered to come out it can fly freely. If we would help the butterfly to come out of the cocoon it would never be able to learn to fly. This is how I look at life as well. If we persevere through the challenges, we will find happiness. The stages of transformation are needed in order to develop all the tools and skills that we need to master our lives.
What are some of your favourite things to do in your free time?
Well you will either find me in the boxing gym or by the beach. I am passionate about boxing and compete actively. I love everything in and around the water swimming, surfing, SUP or just playing in the water. I enjoy reading as much as I enjoy hanging out with friends. I love dancing and music. One of my biggest passions besides all the activeness is Writing, the Moon (Moonology), Astrology, Quantum Physics and Astrology. There is never enough time to endeavour it all - I have accepted that fact. One of my favourite quotes is: “There is no ordinary moment and therefore every moment is extraordinary.''
JAY - LOWER NORTH DELIVERY LEAD
If you were stuck on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?
Knife, solar panel, cabin
What made you want to work for SADD?
Having worked as a Recreation Coordinator I really enjoy working with different age groups, from primary schools to high schools. The SADD programme is a great chance for me to work with and develop youth. It is also a great chance to pass on my experience as a firefighter to help others understand the impact of road emergencies .
If you had to eat the same breakfast for the rest of this year, what would you have?
Nutri Grain, an easy breakfast with all the goodness ya need :-)
What were you doing work-wise before SADD?
I have worked in a number of different roles before SADD a few of them were working as a firefighter based in Wellington , moving overseas to Australia to work as a Stunt Performer and then heading back home to NZ where I worked as a Recreation Coordinator in Wellington.
If you woke up tomorrow as an animal, what animal would you choose to be and why?
Probably a dolphin, as growing up I have always enjoyed being around the ocean and think a dolphin would be awesome :-)
What are some of your favourite things to do in your free time?
Spending time with my family and friends, exploring the outdoors by going on a good hike, or just chilling out with a good PS4 game or movie.
Mia and Jay will be joining Lydia, our South Island Programme Delivery Lead, next month, hitting the regions to deliver our term one workshop series designed to help get students set up with running SADD in their schools and communities this year. Keep an eye out for when they will be hitting up your town!