Quote

"Believe you can and you’re halfway there."

- Theodore Roosevelt

Real Life

Dame Sarai-Paea Bareman was born in Auckland, New Zealand, to a Samoan mother and Dutch father. She grew up in a rugby family, but once she was introduced to football at high school she soon grew to love the sport.

She played for and captained her 1st XI and then played for senior club teams in Auckland. Bareman went on to represent Samoa in their national women’s football team. Bareman was clearly a strong player but she went on to achieve even greater things for football off the field.

In 2008 she became finance manager for the Football Federation of Samoa and was soon promoted to Chief Executive Officer. In this role she was instrumental in rebuilding football in Samoa. She then became operations manager of the Oceania Football Confederation – developing and organising football throughout the south pacific nations. Only a year later she received the ultimate call up when she was asked to be on the FIFA Reforms committee. Bareman was the only female member of this committee and ended up working closely with the now president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino. She later described the experience as being “a little old Samoan New Zealander” stepping into one of the biggest boards in world sport. Together, she and Infantino drafted reforms that are now part of FIFA’s statutes. Bareman then went on to become FIFA’s first Chief Women’s Football Officer. One step at a time, she rose to the very top of the game, becoming a strong and influential voice in world football.

When we think about our own lives, it’s easy to assume there are some things we will never be capable of or opportunities we will never get. Growing up in Auckland, Bareman never dreamed she would one day sit on a FIFA committee, working with world leaders in the sport - yet that is exactly what she did. Sometimes the limits are not real, but ones we put on ourselves.

God never limits our potential He promises to continue His good work in us (Phil. 1:6), never leaving us as we are but always inviting us to grow and step forward with Him. He calls us His masterpiece (Eph. 2:10) and declares He has a hope and a future for us (Jer. 29:11) - a future that is greater than we can even imagine (Eph. 3:20). Bareman’s story reminds us that if we take opportunities one at a time, backing ourselves to give our best and trusting God to guide and enable us, we might find ourselves somewhere we never thought possible.

Bible Verse

Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

Prayer

Lord thank You that You love me, believe in me and have a future and a hope for me. Please help me not to limit myself in ways You never intend me to, but to trust that You will keep helping me to be more.

Author: Sarah Auld  |   Content Editor: Phil Pawley