"No one should apologise for being poor. It’s not a curse. You can change it. Through education, you can uplift yourselves and change your lives,” emphasises Ruth Yu-Owen. She carved her own path and persevered to achieve the changes she sought. She does not apologise for her humble beginnings and for her mistakes. She used both as stepping stones to survive, to succeed – and now fuel her to live in significance by paying it forward.
“I’d like to believe that I’ve reached a stage in life where I’m better equipped to help achieve a sustainable future for some of the less privileged communities and a sustainable future for our environment.”
New Zealand: God’s Movie Set
Nature must have bequeathed all its treasures to NZ that it seems like the perfect place to shoot a movie. Its stunning landscapes left audiences so awed that the UK Sunday Express once wrote: “If locations were awarded Oscars, New Zealand would scoop the lot.”
Oscar-winning Sir Anthony Hopkins, who played the lead role in The World’s Fastest Indian (filmed in NZ), told local Maori that he had never known such peace as he experienced in the deep south of the country and described the movie as “the best thing I've done - the best experience I've had”.
Long before the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit series hit the screens, the country’s breathtaking natural scenery has served as a backdrop to scores of international films and television series including The Last Samurai, Mission: Impossible: Fallout, Mulan (2020), The World’s Fastest Indian, River Queen, The Legend of Zorro, X-men Origin, Vertical Limit, Hercules, Xena, Power Rangers, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom – were filmed in different parts of the country.
We curated some must-see film locations that have become awe-inspiring epic attractions that will take your breath away.
Ana Zigic: Everyone Has Their Own Ocean
At the end of 2023, Ana Žigić along with 3 other brave women (Viki Monk, Ellie Reynolds and Abbey Platten) set out to row across the Atlantic in a human power boat. For 39.5 days, through walls of black waves, endless seasickness and layers of salt on equipment, clothes and skin, they learned to trust and support one another as the best teammates they could be. Motivated by their desire to “turn the tide for girls in sport”, they trained for 2 intense years with “life outside the row” falling to the wayside.
There She Rows achieved a British record for the fastest women’s crew to row the Atlantic, definitely a proud achievement for Ana. But it was during the fortune of doing this with three unstoppable forces of nature that Ana found herself with lasting and transformative lessons from the ocean. (image: @worldstoughestrow)
“Don’t wait to be invited to make a difference. Always help when you can, one person or one worthy cause at a time. Before you know it, you’re helping so many people. It’s a ripple effect.”
- Ruth Yu-Owen, Failures Fuel Success | ws -
Nothing touches the human heart more than a compelling story that sparks hope, encouragement and good vibes. Many resonate with us. Others nudge us to take action. Some urge us to pause and ponder. A few restore our faith in humanity.
Weekly Sparks’ pursuit of enriching stories connects us to diverse communities of awe-inspiring individuals who open their hearts (some reluctantly) hoping that in sharing their struggles, pain and, eventually, triumphs someone out there can find the courage to pursue his/her aspirations.
We find such kinship with Women of the World. They are dreamers and believers. Their collective narrative of pushing boundaries and overcoming limitations is proof that anything is possible if we walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous and the doers. May their daring spirit ignite a fire within you.
Our Story is really about their stories. They reflect who we are at a deeper level, beyond roles and goals.