Gobel's strong message to 'believe in yourself'

The final talk of the SASAPD Women's Month Huddle Up Thursday series was presented by Dr Melonie Gobel. The athlete wellness specialist and performance coach tackled the question of why women should belong in sport. Her response? "You already do. You just need the courage to take your place."

Dr Gobel began by explaining her issue with the original question, "I believe trying to explain why women belong is unnecessarily defensive. It sounds as if sport is the territory of someone else and you must defend your right to occupy it. I do not want to tell my fellow women that they need to fight harder for their place but rather help them recognise their value and their unique place in the world."

She went on to support her belief through her personal experience in her career. "I have occupied spaces in business where I am the only woman in the room. I have struggled with imposter syndrome (the feeling of not belonging in a certain environment) and have questioned where I belong here.

"I could sit here tonight and tell you about all I have achieved to validate my belonging, but what I think will be more helpful is to tell you about the times I did not believe I was good enough. In those moments, no one could help make me feel like I belong. It was all down to me."

Dr Gobel explained the importance of shifting her attention to how she measures her own self-value. "I first realised that I had to stop evaluating my worth based on the metrics of others. We are all unique, we all have special talents and gifts to give. Figuring out what mine are and homing in on those helped me to build my self-belief and confidence and it led me to receiving my doctorate in my 40's.

"If you ever feel like you do not belong in your field, remember that you do. Although you may not feel it or see it yet, you can discover what it is that sets you apart from your peers. Your individuality and personal strengths are what give you your place at whatever table you choose to sit at. All you need is the courage to embrace yourself. The place is yours. Do not hesitate to grab it with confidence."

It was a truly inspiring talk by Dr Gobel to round off the SASAPD Women's Month Huddle Up Thursdays. The Huddle Up series will be continuing monthly and more information will be released on the next event this September.