Building ships, carving waves, and writing history. Stereotypes won’t stop us

No one is a stereotype. Yet we’ve built up ideas of each other that inevitably limit us, holding us back from achieving our true potential. Aysha Gaffoor Richards, Annelissa Mhloli, and Shéri Brynard have refused to allow themselves to be put in a box. Instead, they’re defining their lives on their own terms.

Aysha Gaffoor Richards wasn’t afraid to enter a male-dominated industry. As a boilermaker building ships, she constantly braves cuts and bruises. “I always felt like I had to prove myself to people so that they would not underestimate my capabilities,” she says. Gaffoor Richards has been recognised for the quality of her work, and earned the respect of her colleagues. She’s confident in her choice, her expertise, and the future. “There are more and more women doing groundbreaking things,” Gaffoor Richards says. 

Shéri Brynard is one individual who’s defying expectations. Born with Down Syndrome, people made assumptions about her since she was a child. “People told my mother not to worry because we don’t live long,” Brynard says. At 36, not only has she proved them wrong, but she’s become the first person in the world with Down Syndrome to attain a tertiary teacher’s diploma. Brynard is also a motivational speaker and published author, her achievements garnering her awards. “I don’t let my extra chromosome define me,” she says. “Success is measured against oneself.”

Yet it’s comparison with others that nearly prevented Annelissa Mhloli from becoming a surf coach. “I saw that a lot of them were in great shape,” she says. “That was a setback for me because I felt like I wasn’t going to fit in.” But when the opportunity arose to work with children, she knew she needed to push aside her fears. Summing up all her courage, she zipped up her wetsuit and got on board. “Regardless of the stereotypes around being black and plus-size, I wasn’t going to let those perceptions stop me from doing what I wanted to do,” Mhloli says. Today, she uses surfing to show kids what it means to get back up again no matter how many times they fall.

Every person is capable of achieving more than we think. Gaffoor Richards, Mhloli and Brynard are blazing new trails for others. Stereotypes can’t determine who you are or your abilities. Your life is yours to own.