Update on Catherine Ndereba and WinCatherine

Wow I hadn't realized how time has flown since my last post! With Catherine back in Kenya and so much work to do, the time just got away from me!

To get up to date, the IndieGoGo campaign ended and even though we fell short of our $10,000 goal, we have not given up! There are too many people looking forward to this film and to Catherine's story. Especially now that many American celebrities have taken up the cause against bullying, I feel it is important to get this story out to the world. Catherine is an excellent example of a child who did not let the bullies get her down, who did not let bullying define her or prevent her from achieving her goals! She also does not harbor resentment towards those who bullied her. 

I recall when we were filming in Kenya at her secondary school, Ngorano Secondary, one of the teachers had sent word that Catherine would be there and several of her former classmates were there when we arrived to film. I learned that one of the men there was one of the biggest bullies to her when she attended there! She treated him with the same respect as she did the others. She did not need to point out to him what his past actions were. Standing there as the success she is I'm sure was reminder enough to this man that his actions in the past were inappropriate. I can only hope that he has raised his children to be more respectful than he was.

Whether it is called teasing, bullying, or just plain being mean, how children treat each other is a major topic of discussion in the world today and for good reason. Children need to embrace their individuality and need to be more tolerant of others. This is one of the main messages we want to impart in the film.

Moving on to news of Catherine, she returned to Kenya at the end of October in time to be present for Jane's graduation ceremonies from Primary school to Secondary school! This was extremely important to both Catherine and her daughter because probably the biggest sacrifice Catherine has had to make for her career is the time she has missed watching Jane grow up. It was a very special occasion for the family to be together for this important event!  Catherine has been spending time at home with her family and enjoying having everyone together!

When Catherine left here, she had just finished nursing an injury to her foot that she sustained at a race she ran in Virginia. When I spoke with her she told me she has been increasing her mileage by 5 miles each week and was feeling great!  She should be up to about 30 or 35 miles a week by now.

As for news on the film, we are still in need of funds to get the footage edited. We are looking for individual donors as well as corporate sponsors. We know there are organizations out there that would love to be associated with this film and promote the central themes of womens empowerment, Title IX issues and the importance of girls in sports and education, anti-bullying, health and fitness and faith. If you or anyone you know may be interested in supporting the film with a sponsorship, please get in touch with me at stefani@sparklinblueproductions.com. 

Finally, I'd like to welcome any readers from Women Talk Sports; you'll notice their badge on this blog page. Please visit the site and check out the many great articles, blogs and contributors there!