The awards aim to celebrate the achievements of the Zimbabwean community around the world and recognise those who have pushed themselves to raise the Zimbabwean flag high and do themselves and the community proud.
For the next few weeks, The Zimbabwean will be meeting some of the winners to find out what these inspirational Zimbabweans are achieving around the world.
Lara Herbert, an ex-Arundel head girl now living in England, was named female personality of the year in the ZAA.
The 30-year-old ex-navy officer, who is working in a hospital in England to become an anaesthetist, is one of only two women to have ever passed the physically challenging arms commando course.
She is the only Royal Marine to have made the grade and holds a world record as the first service woman to ever climb the fifth highest mountain in the world, Mount Makalu.
She was awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 1999 for her work with the local communities during her Mount Makalu expedition.
She said: “I was one of only two doctors on the climb and was with about 400 to 500 people at any one time. I did a lot of work with the local communities providing medical advice and reassurance.”
She told The Zimbabwean that she decided to go through the gruelling commando course, which includes a 48km run in full kit, because she wanted to serve in Afghanistan and the only way to get onto the front lines as a Royal Marine was to pass the gruelling ordeal.
She said: “I wanted to work in the Royal Marines as a navy doctor. Most women who join the navy are sent away on ships, but I wanted to see more active service.
“I really wanted to go to Afghanistan and I was told the only way to do that was to join the Royal Marines and get through the commando course. I'm the second woman to have ever passed the course, they actually booked me onto a ship the day after the test because they didn't think I would pass it.
“It is definitely something I am quite proud of. I did not really talk about it when I was in the navy but it is now a lot easier to say, 'I achieved that.'”
Her determination saw her posted to Helmand province, working as the doctor for up to 200 soldiers at any one time over a six-month period between 2008 and 2009.
The modest 30-year-old said she was very surprised to have been nominated for a ZAA and said she thought there was “no chance” she would actually win.
Unfortunately she was on call at the hospital where she works, so could not attend the awards ceremony.
The dedicated officer left the Navy last year, after serving for nine years, and has been working in a hospital in England, in her second year of a six year course to be an anaesthetist
“I hope to go back to Zimbabwe for good one day when I have finished my training and work in hospitals there. I know they are in such desperate need of doctors,” she said.
Post published in: News