in their own words
Lazy, ungrateful, selfie-obsessed? Not these girls. A far cry from your typecast teens, these seven Australians are out to prove the stereotype wrong (and conquer the world in the process)
ALYSSA AZAR, 19 MOUNTAIN CLIMBER AND ADVENTURER
being TO ME, BEING A WOMAN MEANS strong and handling life’s challenges with courage.
around THERE’S A BIT OF A NEGATIVE STEREOTYPE teenagers and I think the best way I can contribute to changing that is through my actions. I’ve climbed all around the world, and regardless of what people have thought of my age, I’ve pursued my goals.
was summitting MY PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT Mount Everest earlier this year. I’m the youngest Australian to do it.
MIELA GOODCHILD, 16 BASKETBALLER
I’m TO ME, BEING A WOMAN MEANS a part of a legacy to nurture, inspire, make a difference in other people’s lives and change the world with issues like gender equality in wages (especially in sport) and female education. I DON’T FIT INTO THE TYPICAL TEENAGER STEREOTYPE
that you often see in the media and neither do most of my friends. Everyone knows if you really want something, you have to work hard and put in the time. When I was working towards my goal of making the U17 Australian Sapphire basketball team, I was training nearly seven days a week. I believe that by working hard and chasing my dreams, I can show people that teenagers can be some of the most productive and positive people out there.
is winning the MY PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT U17 World Championships and making history – several times over! We were the first U17 Australian team to place higher than fifth and the first to play in a grand final, the first team ever to beat the USA in a World Championship tournament and the first Australian team ever to win a gold medal at the U17 World Championship tournament. The satisfaction from having all my hard work finally pay off was huge. It was an amazing journey that I know I’ll remember and treasure for the rest of my life.
ANGELINA POPOVSKI, 15 ACTIVIST
having to TO ME, BEING A WOMAN MEANS try harder to have our opinions and messages heard in a male-dominated society. Confidence and self-belief are traits we need to build on if we’re to succeed. My parents continue to stress the importance of schooling and striving for a well-paying career. I feel that, as a woman, the challenges I may face in the future are quite daunting, in things such as career opportunities and pressure to start a family. But in the meantime, I’m just going to focus on what’s really important to me: implementing change in areas of animal cruelty and human injustice.
comes I THINK THE REASON TEENAGERS ARE MISJUDGED mainly down to ignorance. We can be viewed as temperamental more from the point of view that we’re encouraged to question what we’re told and not to take it at face value. We actively debate issues with our parents and are often at loggerheads due to our differing views.
is getting the MY PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT supermarket chain Aldi to stop selling caged eggs. This was thanks to the help of everyone who signed my petition [on change.org], and also Animals Australia. Speaking to heaps of newspapers, radio and TV stations made me feel really proud.
MADELEINE MADDEN, 19 ACTRESS
TO ME, BEING A WOMAN MEANS being a leader and a supporter. Someone who shows strength, yet is still gentle and sensitive. Someone who’s independent and not afraid to go places no-one has ever been before. I’VE SUFFERED FROM DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN THE
and there are days when you can feel completely PAST unmotivated or paralysed by fear. But teens being seen as indifferent is so patronising and insensitive. It undermines everything that’s going on. There are so many social pressures and hormonal changes that you have no control over. Nothing really prepares
you for your teenage years. But I do think there needs to be more education and conversation surrounding the elephant in the room: mental illness. It affects so many of us and we should feel comfortable to talk about it.
is finishing school. I’d MY PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT always hated school. Acting [Madden appeared in acclaimed TV series Redfern Now] had always been an escape from it. The learning environment didn’t suit me whatsoever. I also experienced racism throughout school, where only a few teachers would pick students up on it. The majority of the time, they just ignored it. It really did affect me; I left school halfway through Year 10 for a year. When I decided I wanted to finish school, no schools would take me, except for the International Grammar School [in Sydney]. I finally found a school that celebrated difference. The students were very aware of who they were as a community and the teachers treated you like an adult. I owe a lot of it to my family. But just knowing I managed to do it reassures me that I really can do anything.
BELINDA SHI, 17 THE FIRST AUSTRALIAN FEMALE TO COMPETE IN THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIAD IN INFORMATICS
being TO ME, BEING A WOMAN MEANS unique, loving and soft, as well as passionate and fierce. Women can be nurturing mothers as well as powerful businesspeople. And even though there can be a lot of differences between us, we share a common bond – we understand each other and what it means to be female.
are seen to be I DON’T THINK TEENAGERS TODAY really moody. The teens I know are strong, hardworking and ambitious. They take initiative in their learning and often go out of their way to follow their passions. But on the other hand, I would call myself a lazy person. That’s not necessarily a negative trait – laziness means I find the most efficient ways to do things!
is inspiring interest in MY PROUDEST MOMENT computer programming and IT among my friends and other girls at my school. I began with a small club, teaching Python [programming language] to students and just telling others about my love for programming whenever I could. I thought it wouldn’t really make a difference, but a few people have told me that they’d like to study IT or take a course in programming once school is finished, and it’s really great to be able to make an impact on others and spread my passions.
PIPER HARVEY, 14 AWARDED A PLACE AT THE ANNUAL SPACE CAMP AT THE US SPACE & ROCKET CENTER IN ALABAMA
TO ME, BEING A WOMAN MEANS I can choose any career path I like, which in my case is to be a police officer. It also means having an education so I can choose the direction I want my life to go in. I DO THINK THAT BECAUSE OF SOME TEENS’ BEHAVIOUR,
the rest of us get a bad rep. Personally, I’m an active person and I don’t blame anyone for my life or mistakes. My nanna has raised my siblings and me to accept what life brings us and to make wise choices. BEING SELECTED FOR SPACE CAMP
was the best opportunity THIS YEAR I’ve had so far and my first time on a plane and overseas. I met a lot of people and we all keep in touch. I enjoyed everything and learned so much. If I could do it again, I would in a heartbeat.
BRITTANY O’BRIEN, 18 OLYMPIC DIVER
TO ME, BEING A WOMAN MEANS loving yourself and your body, and trying to empower others. It also means being respectful of everyone regardless of their age, race or gender.
there are people who are IN EVERY GENERATION unmotivated and people who are hardworking. It’s unfair to stereotype any group, as every individual has their strengths and weaknesses. Anyone who believes that teenagers don’t really do much needs to look at those training endlessly to be the sports stars of tomorrow, or studying hours every night to be doctors or engineers. I think we should encourage other generations to think of each teenager as a person rather than a collective of apathetic time-wasters, and to look a little harder before making such assumptions.
the craziest of my THE PAST FEW MONTHS HAVE BEEN life. I went through a period where nothing seemed to be going right and I was losing motivation. The phone call back in June telling me I hadn’t made the Olympic team [in platform diving] was heartbreaking, and it was hard to want to keep training hard. On top of that, one of my closest friends was hit by a car and killed just a couple of hours after I had seen him. Although it was difficult, I pushed through the pain and kept training. In the end, I got the call that changed my life – I was going to the Rio Olympics. Over the past few months, I’ve realised how strong I am. I’m so proud of myself for not giving in to the setbacks and, as a result, I performed well at my first Olympic Games.
“THERE ARE SO SOCIAL MANY PRESSURES AND HORMONAL CHANGES. REALLY NOTHING PREPARES YOU FOR YOUR TEEN YEARS”