Mar 23 Ballito Umhl

Spreading
hope
“There are so many people suffering
out there, and we have all this
information that could really help
them. What can we do?”
These were the words, spoken to
her by one of her newly qualified
life coaches, that ignited an innate
desire in Mindfit Coaching Academy
founder, Sharon Castle, to start
an outreach programme offering
coaching sessions to anyone battling
with trauma or tragedy.
“It was a Sunday evening in October
last year when one of my students,
Cheryl Sachse, phoned me. Everyone
knows I don’t answer work-related
calls on Sundays, so I knew it must
be important. Something hit me
after speaking to her. Having been
through Covid, the riots and then
two devastating rounds of flooding,
there were so many people really
struggling. We had to do something,”
says Sharon.
Less than 24 hours later, after Sharon
managed to get some airtime on a
local online television station, the
word started to spread and Wings
of Hope was born. “We had so much
positive feedback and everything just
started to fall into place.”
Cheryl is one of Sharon’s qualified life
Driven by an innate desire
to help those who are
suffering, two Ballito
women have started an
outreach programme that
is not only changing lives,
but inspiring hope in a
time when so many are
feeling hopeless.
coaching students who now works
closely with her and heads up Wings
of Hope. “It’s all about helping people
find hope and shifting the way they
handle adversity. What happens
to you is not who you are. It’s so
important to get that message out
there,” she says.
Having seen significant changes in
her personal life after completing
Sharon’s Awakenings programme,
Cheryl says she has an incredible
desire to share the information and
knowledge with those who are
suffering. “It’s about helping people
find their own way and pointing them
in the right direction,” she says.
This results-driven life coaching is
not about telling people what they
are doing right or wrong, Sharon
says, but rather about understanding
where people’s experience of things
is coming from.
“It’s difficult to think clearly if you are
suffering from extreme anxiety, fear,
worry or grief. If you can settle those
feelings, it will become clear that the
wisdom you need is already inside you.”
While they initially thought it
would be individuals reaching
out, there were bigger appeals for
help, including local social welfare
services. “In two days we worked
with social workers, educators,
psychologists and policemen and
policewomen. It was a real ‘mixed
bag’ of people,” says Sharon, who has
over 20 years’ experience as a life
and wellness coach.
“We had an incredible response and
were able to make an enormous
impact at a halfway house for
addicts in Verulam. Our sessions
were incredibly powerful and full of
connection, and everyone was crying
in the end.”
16 Get It • Ballito • Umdloti • Umhlanga March 2023