13 December 2013
Young Kiwi Women Taking Over the World!
Unless you've been living in a cave in Fiordland for the past year, you will know at least a little about Lorde, or to give her her actual name, Ella Yelich-O'Connor.
Despite being only 16 at the time, she became the first-ever Kiwi to have a number one US hit, a position she held for eight weeks. Four Grammy nominations and kudos from some giants of rock & roll - Cher & Bowie to name just two - have ensured that Lorde is an international phenomenon.
In the world of golf, Tiger Woods has been universally recognised as the greatest young golfer the game has ever seen, winning his first Major at the incredible age of 22, at which age he also reached the world's #1 ranking.
Unfortunately for Tiger, all of his records - except youngest Major win, which will surely come - have been shattered by a young girl from Auckland's North Shore. Lydia Ko, even younger than Lorde, at a mere 16, is already ranked #4 in the world, and has won her first tournament as a professional. It was only the second tournament she entered as a professional.
Women's golf isn't a popular TV sport, but the competitiveness is there as it is in men's golf, and Ko is rightly classed as a sensation throughout the knowledgeable sports world.
On the internet, it is possible to start with nothing and build followers. Two years ago, a 15-year-old Kiwi girl decided to start a Facebook page to write about growing up in NZ, and share some Kiwi humour. Two years and 6 million likes later, Jamie Currie virtually is Queen of the Internet, with a burgeoning career in whatever she chooses.
In the arts & literature world, 28 is not just young, but ridiculously young to win a prize as prestigious as the MAN Booker Prize - UK & the Commonwealth's top literature award. Eleanor Catton did just that, beating off far more experienced writers to become the first Kiwi winner of the prize.
No doubt successes will continue to follow them for many years.
Well done!
Copyright © Alan Charman