Guest Speaker Gaynor Young was an actress. On the 9th December 1989 her life changed irrevocably!

 

Gaynor was understudy for the role of Guinevere in Camelot, being performed at the State Theatre in Pretoria. On the 9th December 1989, Kate Normington, the lead, fell ill. Gaynor was to take over at the afternoon and evening performances. She went on stage that afternoon never having had a dress rehearsal nor a technical rehearsal! But she knew that she would be amazing in the role. And indeed she was FAN-BLOODY-TASTIC!!! The scene before interval, was when disaster struck! In the dark, Gaynor must have turned the wrong way or missed her footing during a scene change, who knows, because she fell off the stage - 18 metres down an unguarded lift shaft.

 

As a result of this accident, Gaynor is totally deaf, and has just 40% eyesight. She has extensive brain damage and is spastic down the whole of her right side.

 

However Gaynor is ALIVE!

 

Four years after her accident, in April 1994, Gaynor opened in her one woman show ‘My Plunge to Fame’. She got rave reviews and travelled throughout South Africa playing at the Civic Theatre in Gauteng, the Natal Playhouse and the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town. She also performed in both Washington and London.

 

Ten years later, her second show Gaynor Rising opened at in Durban and then moved on to the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town.

 

In 2000 Gaynor's autobiography My Plunge to Fame was published to widespread popularity. The South African playwright, Athol Fugard wrote, ‘If you have lately been doubting the capacity of the human spirit to overcome calamitous misfortune, I urge you to read Gaynor Young’s story. It will restore your faith’.

 

Gaynor now spends her time giving inspirational speeches to blue chip companies throughout South Africa, writing and looking after her children, Perdita, a beautiful wire haired Dachshund and Spencer, a grey Cockateil with a great sense of humour!

 

In 2007 I had a Cochlear Implant and on the 17th July I was ‘switched on’! I cannot describe to you the joy of once more being able to ‘hear’. The delight of being able to walk down a street and listen to the birds singing is something I never thought I would experience again.

 

Last May she had a second cochlear implant in her other ear, so she now hears 'in stereo'! For the first time in 24 years she feels ‘complete’.

 

Gaynor has found that it is only when something has been taken away from one that one is aware of it’s true value.

Guest Speaker Gaynor Young was an actress. On the 9th December 1989 her life changed irrevocably!

 

Gaynor was understudy for the role of Guinevere in Camelot, being performed at the State Theatre in Pretoria. On the 9th December 1989, Kate Normington, the lead, fell ill. Gaynor was to take over at the afternoon and evening performances. She went on stage that afternoon never having had a dress rehearsal nor a technical rehearsal! But she knew that she