- Precious Sibalo, a 35-year-old woman from Zimbabwe, fulfilled her dream of becoming a pilot after working as a flight waitress for 12 years.
- Inspired by the absence of female pilots during a school trip, Precious aspired to become one of the few women in the male-dominated field.
- Despite facing challenges, including the loss of her mother and becoming a young mother herself, Precious persevered and pursued her dreams, working as a waitress and later joining Qatar Airways as a cabin crew member.
A 35-year-old woman from Zimbabwe named Precious Sibalo has achieved her long-held dream of becoming a certified pilot after 12 years of serving as a flight waitress and caring for passengers.
Precious had always wanted to become a pilot since she participated in a school trip at an airport. She realized back then that there were no female pilots, which further inspired her to pursue a career in this male-dominated field.
However, Precious faced numerous setbacks on her path to becoming a pilot. She was raised by her grandmother after her mother, who gave birth to her at the age of 17, had to leave to find work in South Africa.
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To become a pilot, she had to leave her child
Unfortunately, her mother passed away when Precious was around 17 years old, coinciding with her own experience of becoming a mother at the same age.
Despite grieving her mother’s death and the challenges of raising a child, Precious persevered to ensure her dreams were not shattered.
She had to leave her child with her grandparents in Zimbabwe and travelled to South Africa, where she worked as a waitress and part-time model.
Later, she moved to Dubai and continued working as a waitress. Within three months in Dubai, she seized an opportunity to work as a cabin crew member at Qatar Airways.
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35-year-old woman sets record as the first black person to fly to space
In another story, Mae Carol Jemison, a woman from Alabama who graduated at age 35, set the record as the first African-American woman to go into space.
She completed a mission with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States in 1992 before embarking on an illustrious career.
After setting her record achievement, Mae Carol Jemison, now 66, became an inspiration for many academics worldwide.
