JHB South East - April 2021
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Live life to the fullest<br />
She strikes you as an introvert but as soon as the conversation gets going, you realise<br />
she is a woman with many passions and loads of compassion. We catch up with<br />
Ashleigh Thomas in her Brackenhurst home to speak about her life and one<br />
Ashleigh is the third of four children,<br />
all girls, and grew up in the <strong>South</strong><br />
of Joburg, matriculated from the<br />
National School of the Arts, where she<br />
specialised in ballet.<br />
Dancing was one of her passions since<br />
the age of four, and she continued to<br />
dance right up to her 30s.<br />
After school she finished a diploma in<br />
Pilates and became a flight attendant,<br />
spending her 20s and 30s between<br />
<strong>South</strong> Africa and the Middle <strong>East</strong>.<br />
She described her life as nothing short<br />
of an adventure, and an adventure that<br />
is continuous.<br />
Stepping up<br />
Ashleigh owns a Pilates studio, runs a<br />
biscuit business on the side and also<br />
spends a few nights a week as<br />
a trauma counseller at the Netcare<br />
Union Hospital.<br />
This is what led us to Ashleigh, her<br />
work as a counsellor to many families<br />
who lost loved ones due to Covid-19-<br />
related deaths.<br />
‘Trauma counselling is my calling. I was<br />
introduced to it by my close friend and<br />
Pilates client Dalena, who runs a trauma<br />
counselling team. She saw potential<br />
in me and got me into the world<br />
of counselling.<br />
‘In actual fact, I think trauma<br />
counselling chose me because not<br />
everyone will willingly give up their<br />
sleep to be with a person who is in<br />
need of some compassion, yet I will<br />
gladly step right in and do whatever I<br />
can for anyone who is hurting.<br />
‘The best part of being a counsellor is<br />
being that small voice of reason to a<br />
hurting family, bringing comfort and<br />
making them feel like they matter. I<br />
also love seeing the staff who I’m so<br />
blessed to work alongside. This is an<br />
amazing team who have made our job<br />
so rewarding.’<br />
But the flip side to that coin is also the<br />
hardest part of her job as a counsellor.<br />
12 Get It Joburg <strong>South</strong> • Alberton • Bedfordview • Greenstone • Modderfontein <strong>April</strong> <strong>2021</strong><br />
of her side hustles as a trauma counsellor.<br />
‘It is incredibly hard to deliver devastating news to a family and watch their lives<br />
crumble and not being able to take that pain and grief away,’ she said.<br />
‘However, knowing I am fulfilling my duty on earth makes trauma counselling so<br />
special. It may even be something like having a revelation of what my calling really<br />
is. It makes me feel like I am able to be useful, being able to give of my time. It sure<br />
is something God has blessed me with.’<br />
Driving force<br />
With three jobs, whether it be day or night, there has to be something that<br />
drives you?<br />
‘Ha ha, yes, Pilates is actually my main hustle. I get the opportunity to transform<br />
lives through movement on a daily basis. Pilates is great for pain management,<br />
depression, injury rehab and back pain. I have an incredible team of clients who<br />
keep me going.<br />
‘My second hustle is The Biscuiteer ... come have a look in my kitchen, I’ll show you<br />
what I do all night.’<br />
And let’s just say, her biscuits are something out of this world, beautifully decorated<br />
and so worth a try.<br />
That, of course, brings us to the question: What are the challenges running three<br />
jobs side by side?<br />
‘Getting enough sleep. My days and nights are filled with so many things!’<br />
But she would not change any of this for the world and tells you that ‘wherever<br />
God leads her, be it as a Pilates instructor, counsellor or biscuiteer, I will follow’.<br />
‘Life has taught me that it is important to find your passion. Get out and move<br />
more. Your body was designed to move. Have a healthy hobby that can be used<br />
as a constructive stress outlet, find the beauty in the detail, give without wanting<br />
anything back.<br />
‘Life is so fragile and short. One day when we leave this earth, our status, bank<br />
accounts, trophies, achievements, pride, ego and all of that is left behind. The only<br />
thing you take with you is your belief system,’ she said.<br />
QUICK FACTS<br />
• What do you love about<br />
the <strong>South</strong>?<br />
The Klipriver Nature Reserve. It is<br />
beautiful and tucked away.<br />
• Married or single?<br />
I am not married, I have two beautiful<br />
Staffies, Chimo and Charlie. They are<br />
my absolute joy. With the nature of<br />
my work, it makes it difficult to share<br />
more time with anyone, so I am quite<br />
happy to be in the space I am in.<br />
• Something very few people<br />
know about you?<br />
I worked for a VIP family in Egypt,<br />
where I was their flight attendant.<br />
I was the only crew on board and<br />
responsible for all catering, cleaning,<br />
stocking the aircraft and more.<br />
Through that experience I discovered<br />
what I was really capable of and that<br />
I am able to function well under<br />
intense pressure.<br />
• Do you prefer food, travel or art?<br />
Travel.<br />
• Rain vs sunshine?<br />
Sunshine but love rain at night.<br />
• The word that best describes<br />
you?<br />
Determined.<br />
• Your pet peeves?<br />
Littering, loud noises and<br />
animal abuse.<br />
GIS0402_012_1083010032.indd 12 <strong>2021</strong>/03/17 10:51:10