People who know me now are often surprised when they find out that I was a sick child. Because of the job I do, many assume I’ve always been healthy and sporty, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
I was born with congenital dislocation of the hip and had to wear a removable cast or brace for the first few months of my life. There were fears I might be left with a lifelong limp. I suspect this set the tone for my childhood, especially for my parents, who constantly worried about my health. I remember frequent trips to the doctor’s surgery as a child. Many were for minor complaints, like colds and flus, but I also had mumps—now rare due to childhood vaccinations.
If you’re familiar with the ‘Law of Attraction,’ you might imagine how my parents’ worries fed into my own, shaping my early life.
Before I started primary school, I spent about a month in hospital for kidney problems. I don’t remember feeling ill, but I vividly recall how much I hated being left alone (parents weren’t allowed to stay overnight) and the pain of blood tests. Even now, I have trouble when I need blood taken.
Another major health issue came when I was about 10 or 11. I developed a heart problem and missed several months of school, attending only part-time for a while. For two years, I wasn’t allowed to participate in any sports, PE lessons, or even play outside. I couldn’t join in on many school activities and missed all the school trips. Strangely, I only remember feeling unwell a few times during this period. Most of the time, I felt perfectly fine, but the adults around me were adamant that I couldn’t lead a normal, active life.
Miraculously, all these health issues resolved themselves without any surgery or major medical intervention by the time I started secondary school. But you can imagine how those experiences affected me. I’ve always been an outgoing and confident child in personality, but I grew up with little physical confidence. I never wanted to go on scary rides at theme parks, and I wasn’t a big fan of outdoor activities. If given the choice between running around outside or reading in the library, I would always choose the library.
In secondary school, I was finally allowed to do most things, like PE and school trips. But by then, my physical confidence was quite low. While many of my friends took up sports, I joined the choir instead. I was tempted by the sports clubs but didn’t have the confidence to go for it.
I was happy and confident in every other way and had lots of friends, but I wasn’t the most sporty. I wasn’t one of those popular kids who won trophies for the school. Looking back, I was a bit like Saffy from Absolutely Fabulous (who happens to be my favourite character!), a legendary UK TV comedy.
So, if you think I’ve always been a healthy, strong, sporty person, it’s not true at all. I always had this vague feeling that I wouldn’t live long. Never in a million years did I think I’d be doing what I do now—standing on my head and doing drop-backs almost every day at my age!
More on this topic in the next blog! 😉
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