Who Is Stef Reid’s Family?
The first thing everyone notices is my accent – it’s a little different! And that’s because I was born to a Scottish father and an English mother whose dream was to travel the world. So they did, and they took us with them! I was actually born in Auckland, New Zealand and we stayed there for a year after I was born. We continued to travel while my parents worked different hospitality contracts (including a yearlong stint in Hawaii!), all before settling in Toronto, Canada.
Your family definitely shapes the person you become and I wouldn’t be me without them. Here’s what I have learned from all them.
Carol, my mum: As a kid, it was often the only girl playing sports with the boys. And it didn’t feel weird to me because of my mum. I remember watching my dad and his friends have a golf competition to see who could get the closest to the hole. When all the other men had their turn, my mum announced she wanted a go! She was by no means a golfer, but she is never one to miss out on the fun. My mum stepped up to the plate in a stylish denim skirt and vest combo trimmed with suede fringe. She picked up a club and gave the ball a whack and ended up winning while all the other men stared in disbelief!
Philip, my dad: My Dad taught me about optimism and opportunity. Success often belongs to the most courageous, not the most talented. The one who is brave enough to risk getting it wrong for a shot at getting it right. Some things will work better than others, some things will be more fun than others, but the point was to always go for it. If it doesn’t work, you reinvent and come back! And when you look back, whether it worked out or not, you will have had a fantastic adventure!
Samantha, my sister: If something needs to get done, call my sister. She is going to make an amazing CEO! She is the one who keeps things real, knows all the info, and knows how to get the most out of every situation. She is the one who will challenge you to make your vision happen. She is the one who pulls you out of dream land, and gets you in the realm of action. Like when I had my retirement from meltdown – 60 minutes later I had a vision board, an action plan, and my sparkle back!
Scott, my brother: He may be the baby, but sometimes he’s the one who is taking care of us. He is also the one who inspired lots of my post amputation “rehab”. I was 16 and he was 8, and he was the one who got me out of the house, back on my bike and rollerblades, and was tasked with looking after me. Our first rollerblading trip, we found a hill, got excited, and decided to fling ourselves down it as fast as we could. He went first to test it out. I followed….and realized about ¾ of the way down I hadn’t quite worked out how to stop, or turn, and I ended up stuck in a thorn bush. As I headed covered in scratches, I was smiling because it felt good to be walking home with someone who didn’t think amputees were fragile!