In this issue of Spa Business we profile the wonderful Deborah Szekely, who celebrates her 100th birthday on 3 May this year. Jane Kitchen travelled to Rancho la Puerta in Mexico to talk to Deborah for our special interview which you can read on page 36.

We all rightly acknowledge Deborah as the ‘godmother’ of spa for many reasons, from her entrepreneurial spirit and business achievements, to her personal philosophies and commitment.

In an age where many in the industry preach about wellness, but do not themselves live a well life, she has walked the talk and has the incredible health, vitality and life force to show for it.

Deborah has pursued a lifelong quest for knowledge, coupled with a mission to educate that sees her lecturing each week to share her century of learnings with all who wish to hear it.

My time at Rancho la Puerta has been hugely enriched by her lectures and it’s clear those present feel they’re in the presence of greatness and privileged to have their minds opened by her fresh, challenging, invaluable perspectives.

Celebrating the wisdom of the tribe is an essential part of building healthy, vibrant and enduring communities and over the last few years it has become apparent to all of us at Spa Business that we’re witnessing history in the making, as our industry maps out its course and drives forward. We believe pioneers such as Deborah who are doing this work must be celebrated and acknowledged, so we create our own mythology as an industry, celebrate our achievements and create a positive record of the great work being done.

As a result, I’m delighted to announce that the Spa Business team is gearing up to launch a global Hall of Fame for the industry, so we can recognise the work of our industry pioneers, while also enshrining their collective wisdom in a central library that we can all be proud of.

I’m delighted to share with you that Deborah Szekely will be the first inductee into The Spa and Wellness Hall of Fame and that Andrew Gibson is to chair the organisation, which will go by the name of WellHOF, with a website at www.wellHOF.org.

We’ll be making further announcements in the coming weeks and I look forward to working with you on this exciting project.