Who is / About Helgard Marais – Mr. SA 2010 Semi-Finalist

What type of person is Helgard ... what does he believe in, stand for and how is he viewed by others?

I am a lively, energetic individual who thrives on challenges, hard work and job satisfaction.

I believe that investing in my mind as much as in my body will work for me in the future.

My greatest passion in life is to make people smile and laugh as I believe one should enjoy every moment of one’s life to the full. A smile is a universal expression of happiness which makes people feel better.

I am seen my by colleagues and friends as a leader and a confidant.

I am…

• An individualist and not a conformist.
• Strong willed
• Kind hearted
• A good mediator
• A good listener
• Focused on communicating properly according to each individual’s needs.
• Respected through giving respect
• Trusted by people as I believe in honesty and my word is my bond.
• A care giver
• Full of passion and zest
• A believer of the greater good in people
• Always treated well by others due to my non-hostile approach and true desire to engage with people.
• Hard working
• Willing to try most things first before I ask for help.

…and the above qualities that I radiate attract people to me.

I believe in right and wrong / good and bad – based on ethics and good values.

During my working life, I developed many of my current attributes. These are just some of the valuable lessons that informed the way I live today:

- The Importance of good team work

- How to interact with different people who have different needs

- How to stand my ground and stick to what I believe in

- How to compromise

- How to negotiate differences / conflicts

- Work Ethics

- How to achieve job satisfaction

- To acknowledge that every person has an opinion and that mine may not always be right.

I have been involved in various high-demand working environments, which have entailed making speeches and delivering presentations. I have learnt to master the following qualities on both a professional and personal level:

- Leadership

- The ability to think ahead

- Interacting with difficult / upset clients, calming them down and finding a solution to their grievances.

- Good planning

- Taking initiative and being pro-active

- Good communication

I stand for respect, honor, trust and ethics. I am driven, decent and caring and model my life and everything I do around these 3 philosophies.

As a Semi-Finalist for Mr. SA 2010, I stand for:

As a potential new Mr. SA 2010 I most certainly have certain goals. We so often hear people in this situation speak about “world peace, global warming” and other huge aspirations.

However, I would prefer a more realistic approach and would focus on the small things / issues that could make a big difference in our country and improve every South African’s everyday life, not just the privileged few.

A) Supporting the needy (Human, animal, nature)

As a potential Mr. South Africa 2010, I stand for making a concrete effort to show my support and give my assistance to the less fortunate of our country.

I see it as my duty to use my individual creative abilities, skills and contacts to effectively create awareness around different kinds of charities or areas of need and through this raise much needed funds. This will require being actively involved, assisting to provide exposure to possible donors, individuals and organizations to further such causes. I have a natural passion for community involvement, assisting people in need and making a difference however big or small.

As an animal lover (especially dogs) I would like to promote the well being of our planet and defenceless animals.

B) Being a role model with a difference, especial to South African Youth.

As a potential Mr. SA 2010 I would strive to be accepted by most people (you can't please everybody) and the media. I would aspire to be seen as a guy who is constantly in the foreground, “giving back”, “creating new” and spreading some good wherever he goes. Any mention of the name “Helgard” or “Mr. SA” should spark a smile of familiarity and association with “good and pleasant” things.

C) Hope and kindness

We are living in a time where we are bombarded with so much bad news every day, on top of the daily stresses each individual has to deal with. As a potential Mr. SA 2010 I would use the opportunity of my title / status and own abilities to highlight more hopeful and positive issues, and make South Africans look up and stand tall instead of being desensitised. I would spread a message of unity and not isolation though acts of kindness.

D) Create a positive sought after Mr. SA public profile.

I would strive to be a good ambassador for the Mr SA brand, creating a positive attitude towards and interest in this competition. Through my actions I would try to make this competition more attractive to the youth and people of South Africa. I would like to be remembered as the guy who not only inspired young people to take pride in their bodies (which implies a healthy, balanced lifestyle) but also made them aware of their responsibilities to the community, especially to people less privileged. They should look up to Mr SA, not merely at him.

E) Professional background

For comprehensive professional Curriculum Vitae for Helgard, click on the link below:

http://www.witkoppen.org/MR.SA_CV 2010.pdf