Guest Speaker Jane Atkinson and Mel Stanbury at our International Women’s Day morning tea
On Friday 7th March, around 30 ladies from in and around Canowindra enjoyed a wonderful Morning Tea at the Deli Lama to celebrate International Women’s Day. The Canowindra Phoenix, together with First Choice Credit Union and Yates Baker McLean sponsored the event.
Cheryl Newsom, from the Canowindra Phoenix welcomed all of the ladies and in particular Jane Atkinson, who was the Guest Speaker. Jane went on to say that ‘the speech gave her an opportunity to reflect over the years in her life, and she broke this down into slices of age groups.’
It started with her growing up on the farm in Stockinbingal, and then moving onto High School in both Temora and Wagga, followed by Ag College.
From ages 20-30 she spent time in the outback as a governess and where she also met her now husband, Rob. Jane has two daughters, Laura and Lucy.
Jane has overcome personal diagnosis of a disease which has no cure, and has asked the question, Why Me? In true spirit Jane went onto raise funds for Arthritis NSW and combined with four other ladies to ride a bike from Vietnam to Cambodia in November 2013. They raised over $30,000.
Jane is also undertaking more study and hopes in 2015 to grow her mediation and farm succession planning work.
Jane finished her speech with an emotional thought, ‘ However more than anything, I want my daughters to have the opportunity to become women who are the best version of themselves they can be. I want them to be happy and to grow up knowing that life is not always fair, and that life is what you chose to make of the opportunities you are given.’
Funds raised from the morning tea are going to the CWA. Approximately $300 was raised on Friday.
Ladies enjoying our International Women’s Day lunch
You can read more about Jane’s Fit Ladies tour from Vietnam to Cambodia in these previous articles published in The Phoenix: