Stories Curated by Rebel Girls
Ellen Ramasedi
Always on the go, Ellen Ramasedi knew she could achieve anything she put her mind to. Read how her love for long jump, dance and netball, now inspires her to help girls around the world to engage in sports.
Ellen Ramasedi. Sportstec, South African. Born: 16 February, 1989. Illustration by Cecilia Puglesi.
When Ellen was young, she couldn’t sit still. She played netball, took dance classes, and practiced the long jump. Ellen was always moving! At school, gym class was her favourite.
For a long time, Ellen thought that one day she would have to give up her dusty days in the long jump pit and trade in her wonderfully gruelling hours in dance rehearsals for a more traditional career path, like being an accountant. But as she grew up, she imagined ways to continue her passion after she left school. What could she be? A professional athlete? A referee? A sports journalist?
‘This is you. You can be what you put your mind to.’
One day, during a community netball match, Ellen had a bright idea. I could help other girls learn to love sports as much as I do!
Ellen knew that lots of girls are nervous about sports. They worry they aren’t good enough to play. Ellen believed she could instill confidence in girls through sports. She decided to become a community netball coach.
During their games, Ellen cheered her girls on from the side-lines.
Great catch! Nice pass! she would say as her athletes followed the precise rules of netball, racing across the court, halting when they caught the ball, and aiming carefully to score the next point of the match.
Over time, more and more girls discovered that they could be great at sports, just like Coach Ellen. Ellen didn’t want her important work to stop. So, she joined Sportstec, a charity helping to empower female athletes. Ellen works with educators to create physical education programs that help girls thrive.
Every day, she is proud of her work and proud of herself for building her life around her true calling.