Beauty in the Break

Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADHD, anxiety, depression and COVID-19 — all challenges that American Olympian Noah Lyles faced throughout his life and leading up to and during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Still, Lyles was named the fastest man in the world after winning gold in the men’s 100-meter final with a time of 9.784 seconds.

“What you have does not define what you can become,” Lyles said in a social media post on Aug. 4, following his record-breaking win.

Showing resilience and perseverance to overcome challenging obstacles and hurdles, Lyles’ story is the type that inspires me.

I’m reminded of the Japanese artform Kintsugi, which involves repairing broken pottery with gold, silver or platinum dusted lacquer. Instead of masking the repairs, the cracks are intentionally highlighted. There is beauty in the break and the struggle that makes the artwork, or the Olympian’s story, that much more inspiring.

With the 2024 Paris Olympics concluded and our 2024 Best of the Emerald Coast winners announced in this issue, I’ve been reflecting on the incredible journeys of those who become the best on scales both global and local.

Here along the Emerald Coast, businesses voted the best by you, the reader, are made up of individuals who have dedicated their lives to their craft. Passion, dedication and consistency pave paths to success. But that is just half of it. Having the heart to believe and the will to keep getting back up when you fall, in my opinion, is the ultimate edge to winning success.

I am honored to congratulate each winner listed in our Best of feature beginning on Page 82. We have first-time winners and longtime local favorites that have won every year for the 26 years we have conducted this annual readers’ choice poll. Each year, the competition increases as more businesses come to our area and more readers cast their votes.

You might recognize our iconic “Best of” logo proudly displayed on business walls each year. I have seen this logo in advertisements throughout the pages of this magazine, all over town at local establishments and on commercial vehicles, billboards, signs, coasters and more. This logo is much to be proud of, and I encourage you to congratulate a business when you see it.

The attention to detail, creativity, consistency, dedication and resilience is really what is being celebrated. I invite you to come join us as we celebrate as a community. We will be hosting the annual Best of the Emerald Coast Winners Soirée on Oct. 10, 2024, at Grand Boulevard at Sandestin on the North Lawn. This year’s event will benefit Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF).

In 2025, MKAF will celebrate 30 years of cultivating and nurturing a deep appreciation of art along our Emerald Coast. The nonprofit organization operates the Mattie Kelly Cultural Arts Village, which provides a central location to celebrate cultural arts in Northwest Florida, as well as the ArtsReach program that has served over 100 schools and agencies in support of K–12 students, children and adults with special needs, and the local military community. It is our privilege and honor to benefit this organization that does so much. I encourage you to learn more about how you can make an impact in their mission by visiting mkaf.org.

Too, we are proud to announce our Best Nonprofit/Charity winner, Bridgeway Center Inc., as the recipient of in-kind support from Emerald Coast Magazine to include pro-bono advertising and marketing services. Serving Fort Walton Beach and Crestview, Bridgeway offers services for mental and behavioral health, low-income housing and homelessness needs.

I also invite you to join us on the weekend of Oct. 19, 2024, as we host the annual VIP tent at the Harvest Wine & Food Festival, another incredible charity event brought to the community by the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation. We are honored to have hosted this experience since its inception and that, for a second year, we will be co-sponsoring with Brad Dahler of Dahler & Co. Scenic Sotheby’s International Realty.

If you are experiencing a challenging chapter in your life, my hope is for you to have the courage to keep moving forward. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, be resilient and be inspired to become better rather than bitter because of your circumstances. I encourage you to share the breaks in you, for that is what makes you, you.

There is beauty in the break.

Much love,

McKenzie Burleigh,
Publisher

mburleigh@palmbeachmedia.com