For the past 25 years, marie claire has championed women in all their glory. Whether it’s the hometown heros making a difference in their local community or the Hollywood heavyweights fighting for better representation on and behind the camera, we’ve shared their stories of bravery, boldness and brilliance.
While birthdays are often a time to reminisce about the past, we’re also using this opportunity to look to the future. To celebrate, we’ve singled out the 25 trailblazers and future-shapers set to make their mark on the next quarter century. They’re champions of courage, change and creativity – the fearless females who are shaking things up in the world of art, business, sport, entertainment and advocacy.
Here, five of them answer the question: Do you have any words of wisdom or inspirational quotes that you live by?
Without further ado…
Grace Tame, Activist
“The pursuit of progress—all of life itself, in fact—is a marathon effort, only possible when approached one step at a time, with patience and trust in the value of keeping a consistent, measured pace. By taking one step at a time, we stay grounded in the present moment and retain a sense of perspective and proportion. Extremism and excess are unhelpful and unsustainable. Plan and strategise, but leave room for spontaneity. Control the controllable, whilst resisting the overwhelm of the bigger picture that hasn’t even fully formed yet—and won’t really ever, because it’s always evolving in accordance with the unstoppable force of time. Indeed, nothing is fixed. Nothing is incapable of redefinition, whether that be an individual, a culture or an institution.
In my albeit limited experience, there is nothing more powerful in this universe; no greater purpose in this life than love and connection.”
Madison de Rozario, Athlete
“Female athletes have the capacity to not only move women in sport forward but to also bring every other minority group with us while we do that.”
Jessie Tu, Writer
“Everything that one thinks one understands has to be understood over and over again, in its different aspects, each time with the same new shock of discovery” – Marion Milner. It’s basically the best quote that means ‘We’re humans, and we’re all really, really flawed.’”
Melanie Perkins, Founder of Canva
”If you are determined and want it, you can just go for it.”
Gabrielle Penfold, Artist
“I can honestly say hard work pays off. I feel extremely privileged to be an artist and enjoy what I do. I never take it for granted.”
For the full Next 25 list, pick up a copy of the September issue of marie claire Australia, out now.
