Beating the beef

In the late 1970s Cheralyn Darcey couldn't pay anyone to take her on as an apprentice. With her heart set on a butchers apprenticeship, she was knocked back several times because it was not considered a suitable job for a female. She also tried other trades like carpentry and plumbing but was unsuccessful.

In total, she applied for over 30 apprenticeships. Two decades later and the yearning to work as a butcher was still there.

At age 39, she was accepted into an apprenticeship on her first try. Cheralyn has since won the Apprentice of the Year Award in the NSW South Western Colleges and outgunned over 85,000 students to win the TAFE Director's Medal. She now works as a retail butcher in her local area where her two sons go to school.

She also finds time to engage in her favourite hobby - painting.

A little bit of passion and persistence can go a very long way.