YORKTON - Yorkton’s Jody Harman has hit the big 40, and is proud of how she looks at that age.
So proud in fact that she has entered an online ‘Fab Over 40’ contest.
Fab Over 40, LLC selected entrants from all around the world to participate in the competition, explained Harman.
Initial public voting determines who will move forward in subsequent public voting rounds till a grand prize winner is determined.
Now Harman, 45, is hoping for community support to make it through the various rounds of voting.
“All you got to do to show your support is cast your vote,” she said, adding, “and yes, I would love you all even more if you could share, share, share, share this on your Facebook walls, stories, Instagram, text messages, Snap, etc.”
Harman, who was born in Swan River, MB., and grew up in Canora, decided to enter the contest after happening upon it on social media.
“As I was scrolling through my Facebook feed one evening, an ad for the contest came up. I had a quick look, but initially had no intent of entering so kept scrolling,” she explained.
“It then showed up a couple days later, which is when I took some time to actually review it and its legitimacy.
“I took it as a sign, although I do know Facebook has algorithms to entice us all.”
But, why take the leap?
“Honestly, I’ve got nothing to lose,” said Harman who now works with the public school division in Yorkton. “It’s always intriguing to watch others step out of their comfort zone and reach for their dreams -- no matter what the odds. Sometimes, we just have to put ourselves and our faith out there and hope for the best.
“It’s now my turn to inspire my daughters, my family, friends, colleagues, the students I work with and anyone else out there who needs a little bit of inspiration. It only takes one person’s actions to make a difference in the lives of others.”
It also fits with her career as a counsellor too.
“I’m a school counsellor with GSSD. I facilitate girls groups and work with plenty of students on body image and self-esteem,” said Harman. “My goal is to ultimately help them to build the skills and confidence to feel good about the skin they are in.”
Still it was not an easy decision.
“The more I pondered the notion, the more I began to doubt my decision and wanted to back out,” admitted Harman.
“It took me awhile to drum up the courage, not to mention the confidence to finally send in my submission.”
It helped that her husband and family were supportive.
“He (her husband Dallas) was super pumped for me,” said Harman. “I believe his initial words were ‘Wow, hon!’ He’s always supported my spontaneity, creativity and strong desire to crush goals. He’s my other 50 per cent.
“My family has been nothing short of supportive and proud. They’ve definitely joined in on the excitement! They’ve all been casting their daily votes, sharing the post on their Facebook walls, etc.”
The initial public voting round started Aug. 2, and goes until Aug. 12.
There is a free daily vote, which can be cast once every 24 hours.
In addition, there is also something called a ‘hope’ vote, explained Harman, where votes are a minimum donation of $10 USD. All proceeds support The National Breast Cancer Foundation.
