World Youth International

We congratulate Rachel Condos-Fields of WattleNest and World Youth International Board Member who has been announced as a nominee for the 2024 Women Changing the World Awards!

The Women Changing the World Awards presented by Sarah, Duchess of York and Oprah Winfrey’s all-time favourite guest, Dr. Tererai Trent, celebrate and recognise women achieving outstanding success in areas such as sustainability, humanitarian work, leadership, advocacy, tech, product development, education, health and innovation. Sarah, Duchess of York and Dr Tererai Trent’s powerful call to action aims to awaken hearts and inspire the people of the world to come together to forge a brighter path for all. Their collective vision extends beyond conventional recognition, aiming to amplify the voices of those often overlooked, yet whose contributions are invaluable. The awards not only celebrate individual accomplishments but also seek to inspire others to create change in ways both big and small. Sarah, Duchess of York says: "Our aim is to give voice to silent whispers. We want to lift women up all over the world and tell their stories." Dr. Tererai Trent adds: "Women hold the ideas and leadership to heal the world. We are strong already, but together we are stronger. These exceptional women are here to awaken hearts, give permission to recapture dreams and inspire the women of the world to come together to forge a brighter path for all. The rising of women is the awakening of everybody."

Rachel has always been passionate about making a difference to the lives of those less fortunate and taking action where things just aren’t right. She walked away from securing her own income to help mitigate the affordability barriers faced by Australian elite athletes. In Australia it is reported that almost 50% of elite athletes live on the poverty line with affordability being a very real barrier to represent internationally. She has welcomed 150 athletes to the program in just 12 months and made tremendous personal sacrifice in order to share stories of hidden hardship, hoping to improve youth participation levels in sport and ease the burden on Australia’s sporting heroes. She has been also instrumental in the growth of World Youth Internationals School in Nepal, securing funding and providing hands on support since she was 17 years of age. She is an individual that believes in the power of empowerment and has enabled endless possibilities over the years with her new venture, the WattleNest, growing rapidly in Australia. Her work is so important and is selfless – she does it for the right reasons and benefit of others with a future focused lens. The vision for these awards is to empower women everywhere and call in women across the globe to unite and pave the way towards a better future for all. It can be challenging to create change in the world and Rachel gives this advice for others thinking about following their calling to make a difference “You have the power to make a difference and it starts with having the courage to be kind, even if it comes to you at a cost”.

The athletes of the WattleNest are equally proud of her achievements, in the last 12 months she has been recognised as a finalist in the 2023 Best Newcomer in Sports Award and provided $200,000 in direct athlete funding enabling many athletes to represent Australia at important qualifying events. Sport has so many benefits on society and the WattleNest not only provides funding support to athletes, but uses sport as a vessel to build stronger communities and provide a sense of belonging. The winners of the 2024 Women Changing the World Awards will be announced at a glamorous event in London, United Kingdom this May.

For more information on the Women Changing the World Awards, click here.