Jayde
“We only get 1 life, we’ve really got to make the most of it. Say yes to every opportunity thrown your way, and live each day like it’s your last.”
Jayde is no stranger to adversity. She has danced with mental illness, heartbreak and self doubt. But now, more than ever, she is beginning to see her own remarkable strength - both within her body and her mind. She is most empowered when she is hitting the trails, surrounded by her friends or embarking on a new adventure. She navigates through life with compassion, loyalty, an open mind and remarkable resilience. Meet Jayde. This is her story.
Jayde, on an adventure (her happy place)
P: Please introduce yourself!
J: My name is Jayde and I’m 25, originally from Brisbane, Australia. I always loved the idea of travelling and being independent and when I was 22 I packed my bags and took of to the mountains of British Columbia in Canada for what was meant to be just a ski season.. well 4 years later i’ve still not made it back to Australia but now i call Queenstown NZ home.
I find joy in Running, Aerial silks and lyra, good people with big hearts and a great sense of humour and above all, my favourite 4 legged animal ... dogs!
I am a barista when I’m not outside running on the trails! I take pride in everything I set out to do. I am a person who values friendships and relationships so so much. I lost my best friend to cancer when we were only 18 and that was hard, I still think of her everyday and I’d say as sad as it was loosing her and having to say goodbye at such a young age it’s really made me realize how precious life is.
We only get 1 life, we’ve really got to make the most of it. Say yes to every opportunity thrown your way, and live each day like it’s your last.
P: Describe or define yourself in your own words.
J: This one is a tricky one for me, It’s hard to find the words that would best describe me. I’ve come from a place of self doubt and negativity so everyday I’m trying to be a kinder person to myself which means trying to find the things I like about myself!
Curious, adventuresome, passionate, curious about all there is to learn about in this world.
I just want to chase adventures all the time and get to know new people and learn all about them and hear their stories. I’m constantly chasing a better me and experiencing the life of others, and how others see and feel the world is pretty special to me.
I’m so so passionate about the health and well being of not only me but those around me too. Mental health is something i still believe needs to be talked about a hell of a lot more than it is. It’s something so close to me and something that I’ve unfortunately had to deal with for such a long time, although I think it is has shaped a huge part of me and the woman I am today.
P: What is your favourite thing about yourself?
J: My favourite thing about myself is my willingness to give things a go, I’ve failed a lot but I’ve also had some huge successes from just giving something a go that I thought I wasn’t capable of.
I recently entered a 10km trail race and upon 3kms in I was overwhelmed with a feeling of self doubt and that voice in my head saying “what are you doing? why are you doing this? give up!” all these questions running through my mind. I wanted to quit then and there but decided to put on my favourite running playlist and put one foot in front of the other and drown out all the toxic thoughts! It worked! Because I ended up being the 1st overall female in the end, I learnt a lot during that race, I learnt how important it is to be around people that want to uplift you and not bring you down or see you fail. I’ve had to cut a few people out of my life for this very reason which has been extremely hard as I’m an extremely forgiving person but at the end of the day we must put ourselves first and surround ourselves with those that want the best for us.
P: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that has defined you or made you stronger?
J: Being on my own!!! After a long term relationship sent me crashing down to the lowest of lows. I really thought that was it for me. Every single day was a struggle to put on a face and get out of bed. But here I am - Being resilient and never giving up even when things are hard. I was in a very bad headspace, depression anxiety, OCD and an eating disorder were ruling my life. I found running and aerial arts - these were a creative outlet for me where I could go and be free and focus on me the most. I’m very lucky to have such great friends here with me in Queenstown who were with me through everything. I owe the entire world to them. I really don’t think I’d still be here today without them and their constant support and love. I’ve learnt how important it is to rely on yourself and show up for yourself every single day! It is HARD there is no denying that. But it is incredibly important to be resilient and know that everything will be okay, and everything will work out in the end.
P: What is one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
J: Looking back at my younger years I’m so surprised where I am now - not one thing that I planned for to happen has happened. Every thing is so different. I would tell my younger self that: focus on one thing at a time...you can have it all but not all at once! Learn how to be strong and stand up for yourself and fight for what you believe in!
P: What does being a woman mean to you?
J: The strength of ALL women are something that inspires me on the daily. I feel so empowered, so compassionate and so strong to be a female - we can change the world. There have been some women lately who have just done that!
P: Who is one woman that inspires you?
J: Courtney Dauwalter! An American superhuman! Aka an American Ultra runner! She has won outright races, she has a mind as sharp as anything! Her ability to get through some of the toughest runs with her pure mental strength and allowing herself to enter the pain cave and be okay with feeling uncomfortable at times truly does inspire me!
P: What would you say to her if she were here now?
J: Can I borrow your legs for my marathon please? Haha kidding! I’d just tell her how she probably doesn’t even know the amount of women she inspires on a daily basis! She is an incredible woman with such a strong passionate love for life and I think even if you’re not a runner you could learn a lot about mindset and how strong our brains can be through her!
She’s vulnerable and shows us how she enters the “pain cave” how when times get tough you dig deep, turns out you can dig deeper than you think is possible.