Valiant. Graceful. Resilient.
This Women’s Day, we are honoured to celebrate Sue King, a true testament to resilience and unwavering strength. Sue's journey through life has been marked by incredible personal and professional achievements, but it is her remarkable fortitude in the face of adversity that truly defines her.
Sue's career has been a dynamic blend of passion and dedication. As a brand builder at RGBC and a BC at Discovery, she demonstrated exceptional commitment and expertise, elevating prestigious brands and crafting impactful engagements.
Her entrepreneurial spirit also shone brightly through VitaGirl SA, her online wellness store renowned for its carefully curated skincare and wellness products.
However, Sue's story of triumph is most profoundly illustrated by her personal battles. Over the past two years, she faced a gruelling series of health challenges, including over 20 surgeries, severe pain, and the profound physical and emotional toll of mastitis and a hysterectomy.
Despite these trials, Sue's indomitable spirit never wavered. She continued to exhibit the same dedication and passion that defined her professional life, embodying the strength and perseverance of a true warrior. Sue's journey is not just a story of overcoming hardship but also a powerful reminder of what women can endure and achieve.
Her ability to emerge from such a challenging period with grace and strength makes her an inspiring role model.
Today, we honour Sue not only for her professional accomplishments but for her incredible resilience and unbreakable spirit, exemplifying the very essence of strength and endurance.
Reflecting on the past two years of intense health challenges, how did you find the strength to continue pursuing your professional and personal goals, and what role did your passions and resilience play in this journey?
“Rish, you know me, I am transparent and it's black or white with me. I don't think I FOUND or MASTERED the strength during the 2.5 year ordeal, I think not having known the duration of the journey ahead of me, was MY biggest saving grace. I spoke to so so many nurses and doctors and I said had I been diagnosed with example cancer and known my exact path of treatment and possible surgeries ahead it would've possibly changed the game hugely for me but in my instance, ignorance was bliss.
I tackled every setback and surgery with 100% fight thinking that it would be IT. I simply was not going to back down for anything and not knowing or shall I say understanding exactly what I was diagnosed with or was dealing with, was truly actually the best in my instance. I made friends with the nurses, I still go say hi, drop a coffee and connect. They're my real life heroes. I also really just tried to fight every fight to my utter ability and my determination to kick it was HUGE. My crave for normal life and to encourage other friends I made in my ward to see the light outside the dark tunnel was there more than I could've thought I had in me.
I must also admit, I think I REALLY learnt to put things in perspective. I saw some seriously dark, sad and traumatising things in the hundreds of days in hospital BUT I also chose to try make those days lighter even if it was with coffees, chats with the nurses or my room mates, some who I sadly lost along the way.
The people giving me care had their own personal struggles too- it taught me not only to selflessly care and be there for others but it showed me THEIR strength which in turn really made me fight. I fought for my family and my urge to just want to live life.”
Your dedication to brand building and entrepreneurial ventures like VitaGirl SA demonstrates significant commitment. How did these experiences help you navigate and cope with the hardships you faced, and what insights did you gain about yourself through this process?
BREATHE IN AND OUT X 100000. Haha. It was not as simple as it seemed. My goodness. There were DEEP AND DARK days. Days of tears on end. Days I don't remember other than seeing photos that my closest friends and family took or uttering a of nurses. The community I have was RIDICULOUSLY supportive and so caring. Genuinely so. Strangers, best friends, family. Everyone.
There were days being wheeled out of intensive surgeries being in the most radical and excruciating pain, feeling a sense of disconnect but worrying whether I would have a mail from a customer wondering why their parcel hadn't arrived in a day or max 3. My anxiety 200% was born here. I was so helpless. I would doze off. I would lose hours that turned days and then tune back in to 100s of mails, but I never backed down. I tried. I failed. I won and I failed again. I soon came to realize , from the guidance of my dear husband and darling dad that sometimes you have to take a step back and learn to acknowledge that learning to say you're unable to be there is a sign of strength....BUT THAT THE SUN WILL SHINE AGAIN. Oh this was hard. SO SO HARD. Not only was I physically limited, I could not move, I was confined to a hospital bed for weeks on end, now I had to call it a day to the thing that I loved as another baby, my business.
One thing I learnt about myself is that my vulnerability really did help a lot of people and to me- that is everything. It is not easy to show up or shall I say share the bad, ugly and the sad, but to me, it is things I value in people so I shared in hope that if I could help one person, I would feel happy.
Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same thing.
Read that again.
In your opinion, what are some key lessons you've learned from your battles with health issues that could inspire and empower others who may be facing their own struggles?
“TAKE CARE OF YOU | BE KIND | GIVE
In whatever context, way or means that may be. Things that may spark light, ignite energy and fuel your days in one year may vastly differ the following. Unfortunately you do not have control of your path.
Had I known my third postpartum had held this journey, I would've told whoever told me that, to J U M P. Nourish yourself, find what works for you. Walk, even if others are running. You are the only one walking your journey, so heal, nourish and flourish. Oh and.... Stop giving a s***! Truly. It's taken me so so many years.
JUST BE KIND. Every single damn person is struggling or has faced or will face a battle. Being kind takes nothing away from you, in fact in my opinion, give and somehow you'll receive back, whether in your lifetime or not.”
How did your approach to professional challenges and opportunities evolve as you confronted personal adversities, and what strategies did you employ to maintain your focus and drive during such a turbulent time?
“Here I have to be very honest. I took time to BE. I took time alone, I took time to learn to enjoy being with just myself. I tried my utmost to not give up, to not disappoint to not "fail".
I have always been extremely driven, motivated, determined and mostly- competitive. I did all of the above. On whose terms? MINE. Only mine.
As an extrovert who has always drawn energy from social events, friends and being around others, I took time to focus inwards. Inwards meant channeling that time and energy to my husband, family and kids. I cut out what no longer served me and still, this doesn't mean it was perfected. I still learn and try, fail and try, daily.
I also learnt to say no to "work" or "things" that no longer aligned with me or when I needed time to just be to walk, to cry, to switch off, to be with close ones and so on. It puts SO much in perspective.
Was it failure- probably not. Well, not in hindsight. At the time- UTTERLY so."
What advice would you offer to other women who are striving to balance their personal well-being with their career ambitions, especially in the face of significant obstacles or health issues?
“Health is the biggest wealth. Full stop.
Don't take the time to focus on health- make the time. It certainly does not mean running a marathon a day or being vegan or eating nothing, cutting out all the enjoyables in life- in my eyes, fuel your life. BALANCE. Cliche or not. It is only cliche when NOT faced by it.
By the time my third baby arrived, I hadn't ever even seen a Dr other than my check ups or births. Tonsils- in check. Never had anything stranger or abnorm, ever. llness happens, sometimes by our own bad habits daily, sometimes totally out of our control.
I will say it until my very last breath, B U T- when you are not able to hug, to cheers a toast, to sit and eat a meal with loved ones, to walk to the loo, simply touch your ear, wash yourself, get out of your bed, miss days on end of seeing daylight or past another ill human across from you, hear beeping noises instead of the normal day hustle and bustle, have more needle pricks than minutes outside, know more nurses and theatre staff names than school moms, spend more hours in bed than making memories - you view life through a different lense and let me tell you- life isn't short, it's long- LIVE IT.
Side note, every being has the same amount of hours in a day, how you choose it is up to you."
