Interviews - Authentic Wow

Judence Kayitesi – Educator, Author, Survivor of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda 1994, President of IBUKA^*) Germany

“Still, I rise”

In her powerful memoir ‘A Broken Life’ (German version: ‘Ein zerbrochenes Leben’), Judence Kayitesi recounts the unimaginable horrors she endured during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. At just 11 years old, she survived the massacres that nearly wiped out her entire family, leaving her physically injured and emotionally shattered. For years, she was unable to speak, isolated in silence and deep trauma.

Today, after years of rebuilding her health and resilience, Judence lives in Germany, dedicating her life to education, connection, and bridge-building across communities. Through her tireless advocacy, she raises awareness about the genocide and fosters understanding around the themes of ‘otherness,’ tolerance, and diversity – especially for younger generations who will shape the future.

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Florence Brokowski-Shekete – School District Director, Bestselling Author, Coach

“I don’t allow others to empty my half-full glass.”

Her passport says Florence Olatunde Gbolajoko Oluwadamilare.
Her “adult” name Florence fills her with pride and joy.
And “Flori”, that’s how her foster mother used to call her – the woman from Buxtehude (editor’s note: town in Northern Germany) who took her in as a two-year-old and who Florence Brokowski-Shekete still calls “mama”, her “real mum”.

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Susann Hansen – Team Manager at Team Hansen, European Rallycross Cup Champion 1994, FIA World Rallycross Champion for Teams 2015 and 2019

Kenneth Hansen – Team Principal at Team Hansen, 14 times FIA European Rallycross Champion, FIA World Rallycross Champion for Teams 2015 and 2019

“You can never be first by walking in someone else’s footsteps.”

There must be something in the Swedish genes, making people and companies successful. Susann and Kenneth Hansen can undoubtedly be called legends when it comes to the rallycross profession – both with their own championship titles as well as with their family rallycross team. They are, let’s face it, in excellent Swedish company with giants such as ABBA, IKEA, Ericsson or Spotify – not to forget Greta Thunberg! -, to name just a few (a comparison, by the way, that they would never make for themselves). And that’s not all…

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Viktoria Schnaderbeck – Professional footballer for Arsenal WFC, Captain of the Austrian Women’s National Football Team, Speaker

“Success requires an entire team, not only one player. An entire team that is not just good for 89 minutes – they have to do their best for the whole 90 minutes.”

Sometimes, the name of a person says it all, and in the case of Viktoria Schnaderbeck – professional footballer for the Arsenal Women’s Team and Captain of the Austrian Women’s National Team -, this actually seems to be the case. Viktoria, the conqueror. Viktoria, the victorious. Not only with her football clubs Bayern Munich (2007-2018) and Arsenal (since 2018), with which she was able to celebrate championship titles; Viktoria has the impressive capacity to win fights against herself seemingly effortlessly. Fighting back from an injury, fights against doubts, fights against clichés, fights against odds. Her weapons?

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SPORT DIVERS - Fussball, Damen Fussball, Krone Sportlerin des Jahres 2018, Fototermin mit Viktoria Schnaderbeck (AUT) im neuen Campus des FC Bayern München

Sandra Shashou – UK-based, Brazilian multimedia artist

„The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” Mark Twain

Sandra’s first exhibitions as an artist took place in São Paulo, in the building she grew up in with her parents. There, in the lobby of the multi-storey structure, she would present and share her work with all the tenants, already anticipating recognition and appreciation for her paintings. At the age of merely 5 years old, Sandra spent all her time drawing and painting, creating around herself a space that would become her studio, occupying a room in her parent’s apartment. And even though it was not all ‘plain sailing’ to realise her dream of becoming an artist, she knew then that art was her talent, her vocation – and that it would become her world.

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Martina Jamnig – Director Austrian National Tourist Office UK, avid fan of football and its impact on communities

“Success is like a perfectly driven deep snow slope, a feeling of satisfaction and happiness about a performance.”

As Director of the Austrian National Tourist Office in the UK, Martina Jamnig is a crucial influencer when it comes to the country’s image as a holiday destination abroad. Generated by her daily activity, her professional world naturally evolves around her home country. However, the rest of her world evolves around sports, more specifically around football – and everything that comes with it: the passion and enthusiasm, the singing and the support of teams and community.

Read for yourself how the person who describes herself as ‘determined’, ‘not easy to please’ and ‘open-minded’ sees, and promotes, a country that is ‘in the heart of Europe, yet too small to be its centre’, who influenced her most and what surprising criteria she uses to plan her own holidays.

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Sir John Madejski OBE DL DLitt – Entrepreneur, Honorary Patron of Reading Football Club, Deputy Lieutenant of Berkshire, Freeman of the Borough, Chancellor Emeritus of the University of Reading

“Every child is good at something.”

Knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and highly decorated with a series of other distinguished titles giving testimony of his charitable activities, Sir John Madejski OBE DL DLitt leaves a remarkable legacy with a number of institutions and buildings bearing his name: the Madejski Stadium in Reading, the John Madejski Academy, the John Madejski Centre for Reputation at Henley Business School, the Millennium Madejski Hotel in Reading, the John Madejski Garden at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, the John Madejski Fine Rooms at the Royal Academy of Arts, the Madejski Lecture Theatre at the University of Reading and the Sir John Madejski Gallery at the Reading Museum.

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Gabriele Haslinger – Former solo dancer at the Vienna State Opera, Ballet master/educationalist/teacher/coach

“When one door closes, another, much wider one opens.”

Gabriele Haslinger was 6 years old when she was accepted at the prestigious ballet school of the Vienna State Opera, 14 when she received her employment contract to the Vienna State Opera Ballet and 21 when Rudolf Nureyev (Soviet-born ballet dancer and choreographer, 1938 – 1993) specifically chose her of all ensemble members as his partner for a series of roles – at a time, when she had not even reached her soloist status yet. This was followed by dance partners like Sir Anthony Dowell CBE (retired British ballet dancer, former artistic director of the Royal Ballet), Kevin Haigen (American ballet dancer and educationalist) or Michael Birkmeyer (Austrian ballet dancer and choreographer) to name just a few. Gabriele was acclaimed for her virtuosity and elegance and for making the most technically demanding roles seem effortless and gracious. Little did she know that at the age of only 27, she would have to retire from her active stage career.

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Pascal Boulanger – Owner and Managing Director/Hôtel Athénée Cannes, book author, former journalist, radio and television presenter

“You have to optimise the opportunity.”

When it comes to media, Pascal Boulanger has seen it all. 32 years in the newspaper, radio and television business shaped him, gave him experience in a broad field of activities and access to some of the most interesting contemporary personalities in sports, economy and politics – and sometimes, with a sidestep, even to musicians… In his most recent role as Deputy Chief Editor of TF1, one of France’s free-to-air television channels and most popular domestic network (and by the way one of the oldest television channels in the world albeit with several name changes during its history), Pascal was what you would call established, with a welded team and focusing on the topics he had become a specialist in: economy, automotive industry and mobility.

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Håkan Matson – Writer and ghostwriter, moderator, consultant, hockey expert, Honorary President of the jury “Car of the year”

“The one who is not fooled by success is not broken by adversity either.”

Having been a journalist for the most part of his career, Håkan Matson has conducted his own fair share of interviews himself. This time, he is on the opposite side of the microphone (admittedly not the first time neither), thinking out loud about his career path, his personal strategies and motivation and a lot of formative encounters on the way.

Very consciously not calling himself a journalist since he retired – ‘out of respect for the profession’, as he says -, Håkan is still very much doing what he is doing with the same qualities and values that distinguished him as an active journalist: honesty, integrity, curiosity and creativity.

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Dr. Gundl Kutschera – Sociologist, Psychotherapist, Health and Clinical Psychologist, Trainer, Coach, Author, Founder of Kutschera Institute, Developer of the Kutschera-Resonance® method

“Resonance describes the balance between control and letting go, conscious and unconscious, the needs of others and one’s own.“

You can already see it in her credential list: Dr. Gundl Kutschera’s expertise is purely self-evident. As the founder and owner of Kutschera Institute, she manages and runs an organisation with a number of handpicked consultants, spanning six countries – and pursuing one essential goal: to teach Self and Social Competence for better inter- and intrapersonal communication. Never would she say about herself that her knowledge, skills and know-how were limitless. However, she would certainly claim that with regards to the human brain – and the fact that we are only using 2% of its capacity consciously. The remaining 98% are used ‘anyhow’ – and often in an offending way to others. Not because we cannot act otherwise. It is because we have never been taught and don’t know any better.

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James Ketchell – Global Adventurer, Motivational Speaker, Scouting Ambassador

“Every dark cloud has a silver lining.”

‘Authentic Wow’ could not be embodied more accurately: James Ketchell lives and breathes it every single day of his life, stretching his comfort zone with each new adventure he tackles. Following his passion, realising his dreams and ignoring the voices of those who ‘have this habit of thinking they know better for others’ has made him accomplish the ‘Ultimate Triathlon’: rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, reaching the summit of Mount Everest and cycling 18,000 miles around the world. Next, his biggest adventure to date: circumnavigating the globe in a gyrocopter, travelling 23,000 miles.

We had a chat with James, just days before he actuated the rotors of his gyrocopter @Popham Airfield in Hampshire, UK for his round-the-world trip in the air on March 31st, 2019. We wanted to hear about the motivation behind his undertakings and his approach when it comes to planning and preparing.

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Trixi Schuba – Austrian Olympic Champion in Figure Skating, twofold European and World Champion

“Strength lies in peace.”

In her book „Life on Ice”, Trixi Schuba, Austrian Olympic Champion in Figure Skating 1972 and two times European and World Champion (1971 and 1972), tells her very personal story about her exceptional career on skates – from the very beginning as a 4-year-old, her daily routine as an amateur skater which rewarded her with a series of incredible wins, until the last years of her career as a professional skater for ‘Holiday on Ice’. Trixi is ruthlessly honest when she narrates about her childhood, her upbringing, her critics and her successes – and genuinely grateful for the life lessons she was taught.

We sat down with her, trying to find out where the Champion in Trixi emerged from, how she coped with setbacks, dealt with adversity, where she found her inspiration and personal power – and pursued her way up to being one of the top athletes of Austrian Sport’s history.

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Bettina A. Guimarães
AUTHENTIC WOW LTD
+44 7818 686307
bettina@authenticwow.com

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Bettina A. Guimarães
AUTHENTIC WOW LTD
+44 7818 686307
bettina@authenticwow.com

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