Tereza Mašková - Step by Step Towards a Fulfilled Dream
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WOMAN
Tereza, you are an excellent singer with several
significant successes to your credit. The biggest
one is probably winning the Idol contest, which was
a great stepping stone for you. Shortly after winning
Idol, you performed on Your Face Sounds Familiar,
released your debut, then your second album and
participated in Strictly Come Dancing. We could go
on and on. Which of these successes was the biggest
personal challenge for you and why?
I would say that every project (contest) was/is
a challenge and different in every way. The Idol and
Your Face Sounds Familiar was something where
I was "at home". I still could lean on the singing.
Strictly Come Dancing was probably the biggest
challenge for me because I totally stepped out of my
comfort zone. I'm very grateful for the opportunity
and I enjoyed it, but it was also a lot of work.
What were your musical beginnings? Did your
parents introduce you to singing?
I come from a musical family, so music was always
there. I have always had and still have tremendous
support from my family and I'm glad they are behind
me.
Where can we hear you in the Moravian-Silesian
region in the near future? What projects are you
planning?
Towards the end of October, I will perform in our
hometown. Currently, I have two big concerts
coming up on the 4th and 5th of October in Prague
Lucerna - called Pink Lucerna 2. Last year we sold
out the Prague Lucerna and it was one of the best
experiences I could have ever had. I can't wait to be
there again.
We know that you were born in Třinec. Do you still
live there or have you moved to another city?
I think it doesn't matter where we come from or
where we are born. Of course, some environments
may not always be "favourable" and the journey is
sometimes harder. But, if you have dreams, goals,
ambition and determination, and most importantly
patience, you can do anything, at least from my
perspective.
You have become an ambassador of The ŽENY
(The WOMEN) project. The founder Vinda Krejčí
Šmehlík said that its goal is to motivate people
to self-develop and support their mental fitness
and self-confidence through the stories of women
who have overcome obstacles and achieved
unprecedented success. What obstacles have you
had to overcome on your journey to success?
How did you deal with them and how might your
story inspire others?
My dream has always been to be a singer, to give
people joy and good energy through my music. As in
every job, it has its "bad" elves. Since childhood I was
told by various people that a singer must be beautiful
and slim and that equates to being happy and
successful. So, a plan of NONSENSE PERFECTION
was born in my head. It began with food control
and then I started doubting myself. It then got
to the point where I stopped eating altogether. I was
also throwing up. Not to beat around the bush and
be completely honest, the desire for perfection and
the fear of gaining weight started to completely
take over my life. I was getting to the point where
I couldn't do my job, the thing I love most. Thanks to
my sister I started attending therapy with a focus on
EATING DISORDERS. I think I'm on the right track,
but it's going to take some time. Sometimes it's hard
to admit we have a problem, admit it to ourselves, and
admit it to those around us. However, when we do it,
it is a step towards victory, whatever the problem is.
We don't have to be ashamed of needing help, we
don't have to be on our own.
What would you say to women who, for various
reasons, are afraid to follow their dreams?
I know how hard it is to even take that first step
towards your dream. And sometimes we are the ones
who get in the way of ourselves. We create our own
scenarios about how it can't work out and so on. But,
if we don't try and do something about it, we can't
know how it might turn out, right? Don't be afraid to
take risks. It's normal that it doesn't work out right
away, it's important to try and not give up. We always
have the opportunity to get up and fight again and
again.
Tereza, thank you for the interview.
“
The desire for perfecon and the fear
of gaining weight started to completely
take over my life.
”
“
I was geng to the point
where I couldn't do my job,
the thing I love most.
”
She rst appeared on television at the age
of 14 when she successfully competed in the show
Czechoslovakia's Got Talent. This brought a wave
of praise but, unfortunately, also a wave of cricism
about the appearance of the young girl. This le
scars that later led to mental anorexia and bulimia.
Her father passed away when she was lile, so she
spent most of her childhood with just her mother
and younger sister, whom she helped take care of.