Rio is going big

The beautiful landscape of Rio de Janeiro

After the success of the 2012 Olympic Games held in London, Rio de Janeiro will have difficult shoes to fill. But I am sure they will impress the world, because this Olympic Games will be the first for South America. One of the many improvements they are making is building a new golf course clubhouse for accommodations for the public. This accommodation will include a big balcony looking out over the beautiful landscape of Barra but most importantly still have the vibe of Rio.

The organising and preparations for such a world class event is huge. The success will all be determined by the participation of the world. I cannot wait to see what they have to bring to the event and surely to see how the South African athletes will do there.

SASCOC is important

The Rio de Janeiro Paralympics is 1434 days away and SASCOC is already busy to get prepared for the Paralympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. “SASCOC  is South Africa’s national multi-coded sporting body that is responsible for the preparation, presentation and performance of teams in multi- coded events like: the Olympic Games, Paralympics Games, Commonwealth Games and World Games. www.sascoc.co.za

SASCOC ready for 2016

 SASCOC, along with other sporting federations celebrated the success of the Paralympic athletes and congratulated them on the medals they received at the 2012 London Paralympic Games. “There is a long road ahead and necessary steps will be taken to improve on the skill of the athletes for the 2016 Paralympic Games.” Words for CEO Tubby Reddy. SASCOC is one of the leading organisations that help to improve and support the athletes of South Africa. The success the athletes received at the 2012 Paralympic Games must surely encourage more people and organisations to invest in our athletes. As a unified nation it is important that we keep the momentum going for the next four years so that preparations can be done for the next Paralympics Game and that our athletes can receive even more success.

 

Athletes getting rady for the 2016 Paralympic Games

 

Natalie's final swim

The inspiring Natalie du Toit

Natalie du Toit is one of the most inspiring athletes South Africa has  ever seen. She is a 10^th time Paralympics Gold Medallist. She earn five gold medals in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 200m individual medley and a silver medal in the 100m backstroke at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and yet she raise some concerns for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

 The reason for the concerns is because she wants to end her career with a big bang, receiving gold for all her swimming events. As we know her and the reputation she build up, it is not impossible to achieve her goals. All the friend, family and even the nation support behind her she can certainly have a successful final Olympic Games. She has such a great career as a South African swimmer and the inspiring moments she had in the world swimming pool really put South Africa’s name on the map.  

 

Natalie swimming for victory

Oscar Pistorius, crossing the line

Oscar Pistorius

He is one of, not only South Africa’s most inspiring athletes, but in the world as well. He is such a great inspiration for athletes to go out and reach their dreams and to achieve their goals in live, no matter what the conditions may be.  But was the 2012 London Paralympics’ men 200m finals one too many? He caused big controversy last week at the finals when he accused his opponent of having an unfair advantage because his blades were longer than the other blades. Pistorius came in second place after Brazils’ Alan Fonteles Cardoso Oliveira with a time of 21.52.

 Because of this shocking result he was furious, telling the cameras that: “we aren’t racing a fair race.” www.news24.com/oscarpistorius. This statement, coming from a man who had to fight a long and hard battle to convince the panel that he does not have an unfair advantage in competing in the non-disabled Olympic Games. Pistorius wants to be known as an athlete, not disabled but able, not a cheat but a role model who inspire the world. Was this statement then merely a response of defeat or is there a change of heart taking place? Oscar Pistorius may have lost a little ambition during that race but the 2012 London Games and the spectators of the Games have gained a memory that will never be lost and will be remembered for many years.

Chad le Clos's big break

le Clos at the 2012 London Olympic Games

One of the many characteristics of the Olympic Games is to inspire young upcoming athletes to become the best they can be, by performing their sport activity to the best of their ability. That is exactly what Chad le Clos did at the Olympic Games during the Men’s 200m Butterfly Finals. He claimed the gold medal at the London Games. This is his first medal at any Olympic Games. What a great way to begin his young career?

 Virgin Active South Africa saw an opportunity to be part of the team who supported him during the Olympic year. www.virgin.com/chad. Chad is now one of the new endorsers, alongside Ryk Neetling, for the SWIM program. This program was established for swimmers of all levels, fit or not fit to help them improve their performance. This sponsorship and endorsement may change his life forever. According to Ryk Neetling, his manager, the important thing is to allow them to focus on his swimming, but at the same time his live has been irrevocably changed.

Chad le Clos

 It is amazing to see how well South African sport stars are doing and that the big successful organisations take the initiatives to sponsor them and to uplift our country.  

le Clos and Neetling at the SWIM launch for Virgin Active South Africa

Caster, South Africa's silver star

For Caster Semenya it does not matter if you start in the back or in the front, it matters how you finish . And she knew that very well then she found herself in the last place at the start of the finals for the Women's Olympic 800m race and ended with the silver medal around her neck.

Semenya waving the South African flag at the
2012 Olympic Games

She made many South Africans proud when she finished in second place behind Russia's Mariya Savinova (1:59:19). This was Semenya's best race this season with the time of 1:57:23. She will cherish that silver medal, especially after the 3 difficult years she had experienced. After she won the gold medal in the World Junior Championships in 2008 allegations arose and she was forced to undergo a gender test which sidelined her for almost a year because the Track and Field Governing Body were deciding whether she could compete again or not. Despite all she has been through, she rised to the top at the Olympic Games- finishing in second place.

"I see a pretty good future for me now," Semenya said. And we all know what that she meant by that...hopefully a gold medal in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. Taking in perspective what she went through the last 3 years, all the media attention she received, she still managed to do very well in her first Olympic Games. Only a better, more golden future can be expected from the country's silver star. 

Schoeman vs Sascoc

Roland Schoeman at the 2012 Olympic Games

Roland Schoeman, one of South Afica's most dedicated swimmers and a four-time Olympian, launched an attack against the South Afican Olympic Body for lack of support during the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games. He celebrated a personal victory during the final of the men's 50m freestyle, finishing in sixth place. " I would have love to have been faster," said Schoeman. He did not receive any support from the SA Olympic Body in the past year and a half. According to Schoeman, if he had the same financial support as Chad le Clos and Cameron van der Burgh, the end results would have been better.

Looking back at his career as a South African swimmer, I will say that he definitely made South Afica pround and introducing our name to the score board. Receiving no support from Sascoc I believe he had some disadvantage compared to Le Clos and Van der Burgh. In 2004 (Athens Games) he received a bronze medal in the 50m freestyle, a silver in the 100m freestyle and a gold medal for 400m freestyle. www.sport24.com/olympics2012. When you take into account that he is such a great sportsman, we as a country expect that Sascoc should support the athletes representing our country in the Olympic Games.

The duty of Sascoc is to help the athletes representing our country and provide assistance in their training. They should help our athletes as much as possible, especially as Olympic sports are not a sustainable paying profession. All I can say is that it is much better to use the Sascoc budget on our athletes than using it for their own personal needs.  

The South African flag representing the types of sports seen at the Olympic Games

Marketing...Olympics...Sucess

The Olympic Games are one of the most anticipated events in the world. This event is one of the most effective international marketing platforms of 2012. Using the sponsorship programmes that the London Olympic Games has to offer, the exposure a company can receive will stretch over 200 countries around the world and will be seen by millions of people.

For most people the Olympic Games consist of sport, competition and international unity but for successful, pro-active companies it is the perfect opportunity to reach out to the publicity campaigns the event has to offer. When you look at the Olympic Games there is an endless stream of marketing opportunities and activities. This is a great opportunity to get a company's brand messages and objectives out there to built on that perfect image and public opinion every company strive to have. To use this sports event as part of a sponsorship programme in a company, it should actually exceed the publicity objectives  and targets of the company.

When looking at Coca- Cola, one of the longest continuous sponsors of the Olympic Games, they share the same objectives e.g. participations, friendships, excellence and respect as the sport event. By sponsoring an event which shares in the same obectives as the company, will help to create a unified message and send a consistent message out to the public. Is that the reason why Coca-Cola do sponsoring? When Coca-Cola use the sponsoring programmes the Olympic Games has to offer, it allows them to interact and build real and meaningful relationships with their stakeholders. Isn't that what Public Relations is all about? 

Coca-Cola: one of the biggest brands in the world

The Olympic Games bring the whole world together forming international unity. What better way for a organisation to send out their company's messages and reach millions of people.   

Coca Cola bottles for the 2012 Olympic Games

Tour de Fabulous

Fabulous lip colours by M.A.C.

The next best thing to going shopping for, is the new collection of the fabulous M.A.C. cosmetic lip colour line. M.A.C., one of the biggest name brand cosmetic products launched yet another fabulous collection. Tour de Fabulous is the new collection by M.A.C. to bring out the warm summer days and brighten up the cold winter days. The lipgloss introduced in the Tour de Fabulous collection is a limited edition, a must have for every girl. One of the most popular colours for summer is the rosy-peach colour with a shimmer to shine your way through the day. And then a fabulous WOW colour for winter is the Tour de Fabulous lip colour. Tour de Fabulous is a hot coral-peach colour with a tint of multi-coloured shimmer.

For M.A.C., lips speak louder than words! For a lady, one of the most important make-up tips is to accentuate the most fabulous feature of a lady's face. M.A.C's new formula in the Tour de Fabulous collection is designed to make your lips shine and ensure that your lips will be the best feature of your face. "Lips speak louder that words." www.maccosmetic.com   

Choose which one you like! M.A.C. colours for your lips.
Source: Karla Suger - Blog

Making everyday a Mandela Day

Nelson Mandela is surely one of the most inspiring people in the world and a legend in South Africa. Everyday there is a change in peoples' minds because of the inspiring ideas Nelson Mandela has to offer, not only for South Africa but for the world. The objective of  Mandela Day is to inspire an individual to take action and to make the world a better place. Through this great event and the communication messages going out to the world, everyday can be a Mandela Day and not only on 18 July.

As we al know, the youth is the future of tomorrow. As the famous saying of Mandela: " Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." The contributions made to the youth today are significant and especially the contributions of the Nelson Mandela Children Fund. The messages that goes out to the youth make a differance everyday in their lives. A song was written by the famous singer John Mayer saying: "Even if your hands are shaking, and your faith is shaking, even as the eyes are closing, do it with a heart wide open. Say what you need to say." The Nelson Mandela Children Fund make it possible for the youth of South Africa to say what they need to say and with the message to make a differance in the world.

Mandela has a dream that Africa one day will be at peace with itself. Let us make that dream come true and make everyday a Mandela Day and be good, graceful, respectful and loving with all the people of this great big world. 

South Africa in Winter Wonderland

Sandton City is abuzz with beautiful models as the South African Fashion Week Autum/Winter 2012 Collection appear on the catwalk. Fashion designers from all over South Africa graced the catwalk with their new winter collections, making sure South Africans look fasionable during the cold days of the 2012 winter season.

www.woolworths.co.za  

Rocking the Denim and Leather

One of the top leading brands in South Africa, Woolworths, showcased their stunning winter collection. The collection included the brand name Country Road. This collection bedazzeld the catwalk with the colours red and orange. What a hot combination of colours for the winter! Denim and leather, are two of the many textures combined by Woolworths designers to bring a new and trendy fashion style this winter. South Africa Fashion Week, what a great success! The week was attened by many of the top superstar personalities of the country, such as Miss SA, Melinda Bam, Bokang Montjane, Miss SA 2010 and Azeez from Men's Health Magezine, all looking fabulous at the event. Winter is not my favourite time of the year when it comes to clothing, but after seeing the stunning winter collection Woolworths has to offer, I can safely say I am super exited to see what this winer has in store for me and the rest of South Africa.

Love the colours of orange and red!!!

                                   

Celebrities and their charities

When we look at the celebrities and the way they live, the perceptions are formed that all life on earth is glamours and full of luxuries. The glamours lifes of the stars consists of unlimited amount of cloths, the top range of cars and very glamours homes. When reality hit and you see the shocking amount of children in Burundi who don't have cloths to wear and the amount of people in Malawi who don't have food and a warm bed or house to sleep in, that is when people wants to be concidered and help where they can.

The questions we have to ask is what is the impact of celebrities on charities? Many celebrities controbute to charities but there are only a few who does charity work on a nother level e.g. Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Bono, Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Matt Damond, Ben Affleck, Ellen DeGeneres, Scarlett Johansson and Justin Timberlake. The way they approach the charity events is not for more fame, money or fans but rather to create a better living condition for the people in need. The impact of the controbutions made by the celebrities sometimes changes many peoples' lives. When we look at the changes that Ellen DeGeneres has made in the world and all the love she display to the world is amazing. Some of the charities she has supported is the Feeding America project- to provide food for the hungry, The Gentle Barn- a home and hospital for abused animals (www.thegentalbarn.org)  and the Red Cross- to provide relief to victims of any disasters.

Sometimes I wish I could be a star, not for the money, not for fame and frotune but to be part of the charity levels the celebrities can be part of.  

Teenagers and the abuse of drugs

Teenagers are always looking for a way to blend in with the popular or "cool" click at school, even if that means that they have to give up some of their moral values to proclaim the title of "popularity". People sometimes have a mentality that they and their kids are immune to the addiction of drugs. Because we live in a technologically-driven world where everthing can be seen on television , the stars and celebrities have a major impact on the youth. Teenagers idolise the way the stars live in Hollywood and therefore they do the same things they see on the television in their own lives.

There is an argument about the way humans make some connections to something or someone to make them feel that they belong, even though they do not know that person. The connection is based on the perceptions that are formed through the television and other media. The vision that teenagers see on television has a big impact on their social abilities. The impact of Amy Winehouse, Demi Lovato, Lindsay Lohan and many more, portrays the perception that it is "ok" to use drugs. But when we look back at their lives, the drugs caused many mishaps in their lives. Amy died in 2011, Demi went into rehab for drug abuse and Lindsay spent numerous spells in and out of jail.

The ARC (Addiction Recovery Center) is one of the many organisations who has the aim of rehabilitating young people and giving them their life back. www.myrehab.co.za The first step to recover from addiction is to realise that one has a problem. "The problem was, I never knew I had a problem." said by an anonymous addict teenager of the ARC.

impact on the youth

The Real Beauty of a Woman

Young ladies often turn to their favourite celebrities for guidelines in their everyday lives. The lifestyles and images of the celebrities are always splashed across television, movies and magazines. For young ladies social pressure is much more intense because of all the images that are published in the media,  telling them how they should look. As young ladies we are often only held to one standard - Beauty. Women are constantly pressured to fall within the "Beauty Umbrella", but ladies, real beauty does not always come from how we look or how we dress. Real beauty comes from within our inner beauty.  

Real woman: www.dove.us.realbeauty.com

Dove's Beauty Campaign for Real Beauty" is one of the most well-known and successful campaigns to raise awareness on the beauty of being a woman. www.dove.us.realbeauty.com. Real beauty is living, free and pure. Beauty is the evidence of something stunning, awesome and great. When measurements are being made to what beauty is, do not look at the television and compare the body of the celebrity to yours. Stop and think: everybody, ladies or men have the power to embody real beauty, from the inside out.

The World of Celebrities

We are living in a technologically-driven world where we have unlimited access to the internet, chat rooms, newspapers and tabloids/magazines. Getting information is no hassle for the youth of today. In most of the tabloids or magazines celebrities are the main focal point and how they live their so-called glamorous lives. According to a website: http://www.child.net/ celebrities became the mainstream role models of the youth today, no matter what their moral standards are.  The views of celebrities when it comes to body image and weight is often super skinny and unrealistic.This problem realizes itself when the youth starts to admire them and the way they are living. It is part of human nature to dream or idolise something that is bigger and greater than ourselves, but where do we draw the line between right and wrong? Celebrities have the power to change a perception in a flash, but let that perception change in a positive way and not in a negative way.  In the next few blogs that will be published over a period of time, issues will be raised such as: 1.Celebrity Influence on Teen Image, 2.Drug Abuse by Celebrities and the way that it influences the Youth, 3.Celebrities promoting Drinking under Teens.The only way the perception can be more positive is when celebrities start to be more concerned about their own lives and not what the media, money or public want them to be.