She was the archetypal Sydney socialite – working hard and playing hard, with a shoe collection to match. Then a trip to Africa left Stephenie Rodriguez fighting for her life – and, eventually, losing her feet.

Stephenie Rodriguez, an Australian, is a serial entrepreneur and global citizen.

Stephenie Rodriguez was at a work conference in Nigeria in 2020 when she got bitten by a mosquito.

Rodriguez – who specialises in sabre and has recently taken-up epee – became the first woman from her country to compete at an international level since 1968 when she made her debut in 2022.

It is said that when we make plans, God laughs.

She’s known internationally as an innovator, entrepreneur and humanitarian whose work ranges from founding a company that makes safety products for travellers to being an ambassador for The Global Fund, a multi-billion dollar NGO that aims to eradicate HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

Malaria is the world's deadliest parasite to humans, and malaria kills someone every minute