Achieve At Any Age

It’s never too late to pursue your passions, acquire a new skill or discover new things about yourself and the world around you.

- Shannon Manuel

Sandy Saaiman, proud mother of three children Lee, Carey and local music artist and songwriter Chad – and grandmother to Summer – believes age is but a number. From raising a family to launching a successful corporate career and becoming a fashion-show organiser, she’s always followed her passions. She turned 65 this year, marking the occasion with a TV debut in local series Melody.

“I’ve always wanted to act and I would’ve made it happen regardless of my age. It was Friday, and I was in the hair salon, paging through the community newspaper, when I saw a notice the Bridgetown Theatre Company had posted. They were looking for actors to be a part of a series they were filming in Athlone. You had to be from surrounding areas such as Bridgetown, Crawford and Belthorn Estate. Seeing as I grew up in Sunnyside, I called them. But the newspaper I’d seen the ad in was old. “We’re quite far along,” said the man who answered. They’d already started their auditions months beforehand. But I said, “No. You have to see me.” So, he sent me the lines I needed to learn and asked me to audition the same day.