ALL FIRED UP
SIAN
SIAN Gabbidon says surviving a car crash made her fearless.
She was just 15 when a collision left her unconscious.
Sian, 25, said: “I remember waking up in the ambulance. My dad was there. My teeth were all smashed in.
“It was a really bad crash. The car that smashed into us set on fire afterwards.
“There were no fatalities. But the injuries were bad. The guy who was in the front broke his leg and nose.
“It could have ended in the worst way. I feel lucky to be here. When you’re a teenager you don’t think about stuff in that way. But I look back now and think it must have been such a tough time for my parents.”
Sian suffered severe facial injuries and had to give up her dream of a sports career. But the Leeds lass refused to let the ordeal crush her spirit.
She said: “I was just about to do my GCSEs and I wasn’t in a good state because everything was swollen. So I could have quite easily not bothered with my exams.
“But I said to myself: ‘This won’t stop me doing what I want to do and getting where I want to be’. So I did the exams.
“The accident was a turning point. Once I got past that hurdle I decided nothing was going to stop me. It taught me that you really don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”
Sian went on to set up a business designing bespoke swimwear.
She said: “In life I always think, ‘Let me just give it a go’.
“That’s what happened when it came to applying for The Apprentice. And now I’m in the final.”
CAMILLA
CAMILLA Ainsworth claims she has been the victim of ageism at just 22.
The finalist is adamant young people can be business whizzes.
She said: “When I’ve met retailers in the past, I’ve said I was the founder of the company and I was 22 and they’d often say, ‘Maybe come back in a few years’. That would happen without them even looking at my business plan. A lot of people underestimate me just because of my age.
“There is a lot of ageism in later life, of course. But it’s also common when you’re young. When you’re in your 20s people don’t take you seriously.
“That sort of thing could really discourage some people. But I wouldn’t allow it to do that to me. If anything it drives me to succeed even more.
“I’m proving to people what I can do. I’m running a business that has huge potential. I want to prove it’s about your business, not your age.”
Camilla hopes her success on The Apprentice will inspire young wannabe entrepreneurs.
She added: “During the series I’ve had lot of people saying they like what I do, which has been really humbling. A massive part of this for me has been the opportunity to inspire young people.”
And Camilla is thrilled to be in an all-girl final.
She said: “This series we wiped the floor with the boys. We’ve proven that it doesn’t matter about your gender.
“I’m so pleased to be part of females at the forefront of business. We want to inspire young people thinking of going into the business world.
“To win the series would mean everything to me.”
‘Nothing will stop me. I just think: Give it a go’
‘When you’re in your 20s people don’t take you seriously’