“I texted ‘hello’ to a random phone number as a joke in 1998 and met my wife”
A cheeky DJ texted a message to a random number as a joke in 1998 and ended up meeting his future wife.
Donovan Shears was given his first mobile phone on his 18th birthday so decided to send out text messages saying “hello” to made up numbers.
He was stunned when he received a message back from a woman called Kirsty who simply said “hi” and they started exchanging text messages.
They eventually arranged to meet for a date in Donovan’s home city of Coventry, and quickly fell for each other.
The couple got married in 2002 and went on to have two children, nine-year-old son Stirling and six-year-old daughter Alora.
Donovan, 45, a former DJ who now works in cyber security, said: “I started sending out random text messages, showing off to my friends saying ‘I can page other phones’.
“I picked the first four digits the same as mine which were 07775, then the last three digits randomly – it was probably about five or six different numbers – and then didn’t think anything of it.
“I just a message saying ‘hello’. I remember one of the messages I sent was to a number ending in 365.”
The number belonged to Kirsty Shears, who was living more than 100 miles away in Cleethorpes, Lincs.
She said: “I’d only just got the mobile so assumed it was from somebody I’d given my number to so just responded to it saying ‘hi who’s this?
“It came back ‘Don’ and we just started chatting from there.
“We would text through the day and then obviously it would become more and more frequent and then at one point we decided we should phone
each other.”
The couple’s blossoming relationship started before camera phones became the norm.
Scots-born Kirsty, who had a Alcatel mobile, recalled how the couple had to describe what they looked like on text.
The quality engineering manager said: “I asked him what he looked like and he said he was 6ft 6ins and I thought ‘is he really?’
“Luckily he really is that tall so I wasn’t being catfished via text.
“I told him I was Scottish, 5ft tall and not slim but not fat and he said ‘that’s my type’.
“The first time we knew what the other looked like was when we met at Coventry train station.”
Donovan added: “When she told me she was living in Cleethorpes I was like ‘where’s that in Coventry?’
“We were texting so much my phone bill was over £250 a month, I think that’s when I decided we should call.
“Feelings started to develop and she’d got the most beautiful Scottish accent, which attracted me to her as well.”
The pair eventually met up about six months after Donovan sent the first text when he invited her to Coventry.
Kirsty added: “I said to my stepsister, I’ve got to go and meet this guy, and she was like, ‘He could be anyone’, and I was like, ‘Yes, I know’, but I was 18 and didn’t really think about consequences.
“I just got on a train and came to Coventry.”
Donovan took Kirsty to a nightclub before buying her a kebab afterwards.
“The rest is history,” he said.
“I remember coming back from our first night out and we just cuddled up, it was kind of magical in a way.
“She is an amazing woman, she’s so intelligent and we know each other so well, she’s my best friend as well as my wife.”
This Valentine’s Day, the couple are joining dozens of others who are renewing their marriage vows at a special service at Coventry Cathedral.
Donovan said: “I took my son for a suit fitting yesterday and he absolutely loved it, then my girl, she’s like, ‘I want to see Mummy get dressed up’, she can’t wait.”
The Codfather: UK’s oldest chippy owner still serving fish suppers aged 91
Britain’s oldest chip shop owner is still serving up fish suppers AGED 91 and says he has no plans to retire.
Sprightly John Panayis has spent more than 60 years in the food industry and still works seven hour shifts, five days a week.
Despite his impressive age, he’s showing no signs of slowing down and continues to fry fish and batter sausages at Nick’s Plaice in Northampton.
John took over the chippy in 2009 when he was aged 75 and handed over the business to his son Nick five years ago.
He had planned to step back but found he missed working so much and was bored at home so he returned to behind the frying counter.
Great-grandad-of-two John has served up around 500,000 portions of chips during his 16 years at the popular takeaway.
And he has vowed to carry on for as long as he can keep going after deciding he “can’t do retirement”.
John admits eating fish and chips twice a week – sometimes even for breakfast – but says his longevity is also down to healthy eating and drinking the ‘right wines’.
Grandfather-of-four John, of Northampton, said: “I found I couldn’t do retirement. How many times can you really mow the lawn and trim the roses?
“I’ve never been one to be stuck inside the house, I only retired for a couple of months before I came back.
“I’ve got to be with people and the work keeps your mind active.
“I like coming here and I like the customers, they support us and I am very grateful for that.
“I hope to continue because I feel fine and I have no plans on retiring.
“I’m healthy, my wife is a great cook and I eat the right foods and drink the right wine.
“I think I’ve been ill once my whole life. I eat fish and chips at least twice a week. I sometimes have them for breakfast.”
John first started working in the hospitality business at 17 when he arrived in the UK from Cyprus and has owned restaurants in Hereford and Northampton.
He started Northampton’s first French restaurant and has also run a coffee shop and a nightclub in the town over the decades.
John, who has four children with wife Andrea, 84, said: “The shop has been in the family since 2009 but I used to run restaurants before.
“We started up with my son being the co-owner but last year I bought back into it.
“I’ve been in the hospitality business since 1950, ever since I came from Cyprus.
“I always worked in various businesses and I’ve never been out of work, I don’t know what that’s like.”
John regularly hauls 20kg bags of potatoes around his shop while doing 30 hours weeks and says age is just a number when it comes to work.
He added: “I certainly don’t know of anyone my age who is working. Most of them are suffering from their legs and backs.
“I know friends of mine in the catering business, when they retired they can’t work now – or they’re dead.
“I’ve always joked with my family if I came back after I died, I’d probably be a fish.
“I am 91, I’ll be 92 in March. I’m a day older than I was yesterday, the 91 or 92 doesn’t matter. Why grow old, I never say ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘I can’t do that’.
“I still lift the 20kg bag of potatoes. I can go on until I’m not able to do it, but while I’m able to do it, I’m going to.
“If you retire, you retire from living. Life doesn’t end when you’re 65.”
Son Nick said: “He’s just brilliant. He gives us all inspiration. He has always been a good cook and all the customers love him.”
Pensioner becomes Britain’s oldest ping pong player – aged 92
Britain’s oldest ping pong player is still batting off the competition and beating opponents 30 years his junior – at the age of 92.
Retired tool maker Ivan Pedley plays table tennis twice a week and says he has no plans to retire from the game he loves.
The grandad-of-three first took up the paddle sport as a 14-year-old boy in 1947 and is still going strong 78 years on.
The sprightly pensioner plays around 14 games a week at Great Wyrley Table Tennis Club in Staffordshire often against opponents much younger.
And he says although he may have slowed down in his old age he rarely gets knocked off the table and the trick is ‘all in the technique’.
Ivans says the sport helps him stay fit and healthy and playing into old age is one of the best things he’s ever done.
Ivan, of Walsall, West Mids., said: “I enjoy every minute of it. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done. I don’t know anyone older than 92 playing.
“They don’t knock me off the table either. You might be faster than me – but it’s all in the technique.
“We have a lot of people in their 60’s but I play the younger people too , I try to play everybody at the club.
“I’ll keep going for as long as I can, as long as my health stays. Sitting on your backside is no help to anyone.”
Ivan first found his passion for ping pong as a teenager before hanging up his paddle in his 20s.
But he rediscovered his love of the sport again in his 60s following a chance game with a friend while on holiday.
Ivan then started playing regularly again as a way to keep fit alongside swimming, bowling and Judo, in which he is a brown belt.
He added: “I started when I was in my early days, around 14.
“Then I didn’t play for years until I went on holiday where I met a lad. I played with him and he invited me to join this club.
“I was out of my depth but they were so kind to me. But I soon picked it up again and I think I’ve got better because of the standard I’m playing against.”
He jokingly added: “I do let these lot win sometimes though because I don’t want to dishearten them.”
Ivan now spends every Tuesday and Friday at the club, chalking up nearly three hours each time battling opponents.
He said: “I don’t want to sit here and do nothing, I like to keep myself healthy. I’ve done judo and karate too.
“It helps me to keep fit, I’m 92 and I’m not as mobile as I’d like to be. I keep going. It makes me get up and do it.
“Once you’re committed you have to try and turn up. I’d tell anyone to join a club to start with.
“I’ve done amateur competitions, I’ve got certificates from what I’ve achieved at table tennis, I won some competitions in my late 60s.
“I have on average seven games, sometimes I play more. It’s such a well organised club. They do help me with my game and I appreciate it.
“They are a wonderful crowd of people, second to none.”
Club secretary Tony Reeds, 84, added: “ He’ll always put his heart into it.
“It varies on the people there but they will all have a game with him.
“Anyone we get here he plays, He loves it. He’s part of the furniture now. He’s had some good games at the club now.
“He tells people if you want to keep fit this is the way to do it.”
“I’m embracing my alopecia – I was diagnosed after my hair fell out in the shower”
A woman who noticed her hair falling out in the shower is embracing her new bald look – after being diagnosed with alopecia.
Wayde Cadogan, 25, started noticing clumps of her blonde locks getting caught in her brush and falling out while she washed her hair in the shower.
In August 2024, Wayde went to the hairdresser and told her how she had been losing her hair and she recommended that Wayde go to her doctor immediately.
Her doctor recommended Wayde book an appointment with a dermatologist and endocrinologist and she was diagnosed with alopecia – a condition that causes hair loss on the body or head – during her first appointment.
Wayde says her diagnosis came as a “shock” and says she started having steroid injections into her scalp and tablets to help her hair grow back.
In December 2024, Wayde stopped having the steroid injections and shaved her head after deciding to embrace alopecia fully.
Wayde, a healthcare worker, from Brisbane, Australia, said: “It was very unexpected and it all happened extremely quickly.
“I didn’t have any warning signs beforehand, no one in my family had alopecia. It was all very new to me.
“It was a very difficult thing for me to manage, not only as a female but as a young female in our society.”
Wayde noticed her first bald patch in August 2024 but had previously experienced hair loss a few months earlier.
Her hairdresser looked at the bald patch and took pictures to show Wayde who said she was “completely shocked” as she didn’t realise how bad it was.
Wayde said: “She was the one who said that she thought something was going on and recommended that I see a doctor as soon as possible.
“My hairdresser said I needed to see someone sooner rather than later, but I thought it would just grow back.
“But I went and saw my general GP, and she said it looked like more than general hair shedding and booked me in to see some specialists.”
In late August 2024, Wayde had been booked in for an appointment with a dermatologist and endocrinologist to make sure it wasn’t a thyroid-related issue.
In her first appointment with the dermatologist, Wayde was told she had alopecia.
Wayde said: “In my first appointment she straight up diagnosed me and said, ‘yep, this is alopecia’.
“Even then, it took me a few weeks to process it.
“It was still a shock for the dermatologist to actually diagnose me with alopecia.”
After her diagnosis, Wayde says she struggled as she was always on social media and she would compare herself to other women she would see online.
“You kind of scroll social media every day and you see those idolised stereotypical images of a woman’s beauty,” she said.
“It is always long, beautifully styled hair and it was really hard to accept that I no longer fit that beauty standard I guess.
“It made me feel so alone and so isolated even though I had such a great support network around me.”
After her initial diagnosis, Wayde went for a blood test to identify any deficiencies that might be related to her alopecia.
She then started having steroid injections into her scalp every six weeks and tablets – topical and oral minoxidil – to help her hair grow back.
Wayde said: “Initially, I guess it’s like anyone that is faced with alopecia, you try absolutely everything to keep your hair as long as you can.
“I worked with my dermatologist with a bunch of different treatment options, which initially included steroid injections into the scalp.
“I know some people have really good success with the steroid injections but I wasn’t one of them unfortunately.
“I have also been trailing topical minoxidil and then that progressed to oral minoxidil.
“But, I think, for me the progression of alopecia for me was so fast nothing was going to stop it.”
In December 2024, Wayde decided to stop the steroid injections and shave her head – fully embracing her baldness – but is continuing to take her tablets.
“I think it was probably one of the hardest moments yet [shaving her head], to be honest,” she said.
“I was at this stage where I still hadn’t quite accepted it.
“You’ve been in a state of denial for so long that the day that I shaved my hair I was still kind of in denial.
“I hadn’t quite accepted what was going on until the hair was completely gone.”
Wayde wears wigs in her day-to-day life when she leaves the house as she doesn’t feel “brave enough” to embrace her bald head fully just yet.
Since her diagnosis, Wayde has been sharing her story on TikTok – @waydecadogan_ – to help other women in the same situation.
She said: “I went down the wig path, which again, was super scary for a young woman to be going in, trialling wigs and buying wigs.
“Not knowing if I should be trying to buy wigs that look like my old hair so people don’t know or trying something knew.
“Sharing my journey has been the most therapeutic thing that I have done for myself.
“Before I started sharing my story, a lot of people still didn’t know.
“So for me, posting that first video was a huge relief that I didn’t have to try and hide it anymore.”
Woman who lost leg to cancer and given six months to live marries husband
This is the heart-wrenching moment a bride given less than six months to live after losing her leg to cancer made it down the aisle to marry her partner – during one of their two weddings.
Ellie Dickinson, 28, was diagnosed with stage four osteosarcoma in August 2021 after doctors found a grapefruit-sized tumour in her left calf.
She endured major surgery to replace her tibia and nine months of chemotherapy – before her surgeon decided to amputate her leg below the knee on May 7, 2024.
Just one month later, Ellie was told the cancer had spread to her spine and was slowly paralysing her from the waist down.
She was advised to bring her wedding date – originally scheduled for April 2025 – forward as much as she could after being given less than six months to live.
On November 14, 2024, Ellie had the first of two wedding ceremonies – with another one going ahead eight days later.
She said they were the “most gorgeous” days of her life and she wanted to celebrate with her husband, Max, 29, a gas engineer, and whole family.
Ellie, a former police officer, from York, North Yorkshire, said: “It was absolutely gorgeous – and I felt really, really beautiful, despite not being able to walk down the aisle.
“Everything came together perfectly, exactly how I wanted it to.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better wedding.”
On November 14, Ellie and her husband, Max, had their first ceremony in a York registry office.
Just 26 people were invited, Ellie wore a simple, white dress, and they sat down to a three-course meal of chicken wings, roast pork and creme brulee at the York Museum Gardens afterwards.
“Because it was November, everything was set up really Christmassy,” Ellie said.
“We only had 26 of our very, very close family members and friends there.
“To be honest, we arrived in a taxi and kept it very simple – I didn’t feel like there was any point in spending extra money.”
Ellie’s £23k “fairytale” wedding took place on November 22, as she played host to over 100 guests.
She said there “wasn’t a dry eye in the house” as she ‘walked’ down the aisle in her wheelchair, wearing a £2,400 gown covered in sparkles and pearls.
Her six bridesmaids followed behind her, wearing £160 sage green dresses.
“I felt really beautiful – it was a fairytale gown,” Ellie added.
“It was all diamante – sparkle and pearly up at the top and a low bust.
“The day itself was really sunny – my dress caught the light and I felt like I was shining, I was so lucky.”
The bride even alternated between two veils – a shorter, “wheelchair-friendly” veil to walk down the aisle in, and a longer one for photos.
Ellie and Max were ‘married’ again at 12.30pm and photos were taken after the ceremony.
Guests sat down to another three-course meal of bruschetta, chicken, dauphinoise potatoes, and chocolate orange brownies, while a saxophonist played in the background.
After the speeches, the reception kicked off – with a DJ, glow sticks and undercover singing waiters.
Ellie said: “It was such a gorgeous, relaxed day.
“The undercover waiters even told us we were the most interactive wedding party they’d ever done – everyone was on top form!
“Max and I had our first dance to ‘I Wanna be Yours’ – by Arctic Monkeys.
“We had a cannon confetti all throughout it – it looked amazing.”
Ellie’s first wedding ceremony – order of the day:
Taxis to the registry office – and the official marriage ceremony.
Photos taken professionally outside the registry office.
A three-course meal at York Museum Gardens.
Ellie’s second wedding ceremony – order of the day:
Marriage ‘ceremony’ done by a celebrant – plus an Abba singalong.
Downstairs to the foyer for drinks, saxophonist and pictures.
Three-course meal and speeches.
Undercover singing waiters, DJ and party.
First dance and confetti cannons.
Boy, 3, with cerebral palsy affecting his legs running 500 meters for fundraiser
A three-year-old with cerebral palsy affecting his legs is running 500m of his school playground – to support his parents’ charity run.
Lee and Georgina Fallows’ boy Jacob was born with the condition and has received care from Vranch House and Bow Bears pre-school.
As a way of giving back to both organisations, Jacob’s parents – who are retired navy officers – decided to run 150 km (93 miles) each during January.
But on day ten of the fundraising their son decided that he was going to help out his parents.
And every day the three-year-old from Bow, Devon is running three laps of the playground at Bow Bears Pre-School with the help of his walker.
When he concludes his last lap it will equate a total of 500 meters covered.
Dad Lee, 38, said it: “It makes all of us really proud to be honest.
“There is absolutely nothing wrong with Jacob’s cognition and comprehension of the world around him – he is very bright and emotionally aware.
“He is really keen and understands that we are raising money for charity.
“The fact that he wants to get involved as well shows a greater level of understanding from him.
“He has got a walking frame that he can hold on to and he is able to then run around and propel himself to get where he needs to be.”
Jacob was diagnosed with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy – which affects the mobility in his legs.
He is unable to walk independently without his walker.
But he is “very tactile” – meaning that his hands and arms work fine.
Mum Georgina, 46, said: “He holds our hand whenever he is going anywhere because of his balance and coordination. The brain power that would take him to walk a certain amount of distance is much higher percentage-wise.
“For him to decide that he is going to do laps every day is a really big physical challenge for him.
“His cerebral palsy is essentially brain damage which means his brain doesn’t necessarily talk to his legs.
“Because he is so young and he goes through a number of physiotherapies we are retraining his brain to talk to his legs so that it gets the feedback to being able to stand and walk.
“His brain is having to learn a different way how to balance and how stand. His muscles are really tight.
She added: “Whilst he is young getting him as flexible as he can to allow his muscles to do what he is meant to do and balanced with physiotherapy will be really good in the future for him.
“Any kind of fitness exercise that we do are based around fitness because it encourages him to get on with his exercise.”
Jacob’s sister Olivia, 9, has also decided to take part in the challenge and she will be running 30km by the end of this month.
And his school friends are being supportive of his challenge – and have been recording all his runs to create a final timelapse video.
“The staff and the children are really supportive and encouraging of Jacob’s mobility,” said Lee.
Lee and Georgina have been aiming to run 6km a day and have already raised over £2,400 through their joint efforts.
The money raised for Bow Bears pre-school will go towards equipment for children with additional needs such as an indoor climbing frame and sensory lights.
Vranch House will use the funds to expand on a sensory garden, which the Fallows family raised money for last year through their 6,000 press-up challenge.
The family have set up a JustGiving page to aid their fundraising: www.justgiving.com/page/fallows-family-fundraiser-vh
Grandfather, 63, hits gym after noticing “moobs” – now has “25-year-old’s body”
A 63-year-old cabbie undertook a six-month intensive training plan to ditch his moobs and “get a 25 year old’s body”.
Perry Wilson, 63, says his age and job meant he got out of shape.
And last summer while peering in the mirror to shave, the grandfather-of-two said he noticed he had developed “moobs”.
He enrolled on a six-month intensive training and diet plan to get back in shape – five 5am gym sessions a week before work.
Six months on, he sports a slimmer, more muscular and toned physique – and his “moobs” are nowhere to be seen.
Perry, a dad-of-two from Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, said: “I started to look at my body in the mirror and think ‘hmmm, that shouldn’t be there’.
“I chatted to friends a similar age who said that’s just what happens to your body as you get older.
“But I thought to myself, ‘screw that, I’m not walking around with tits!’
“I asked a friend who is a bodybuilder whether it would be achievable to get the body of a 25 year old in six months.
“He said yes, as long as I followed his exercise and diet plan – and I was determined to do it.
“The 4am starts for the 5am gym sessions were hard – but six months on, the moobs are gone and I have abs.
“My daughters say I have a better body now than their boyfriends’!”
In July last year Perry realised his “more sedentary lifestyle” was doing harm and took action.
With advice from a bodybuilder friend he bulked up on protein to build muscle – eating four portions of chicken and rice plus two 1,100 calorie protein shakes a day.
Then he went on a strict, lean diet – leaving him with a toned and muscular physique.
He said: “Anyone can have a plan, the difficulty is actually doing it.
“You have to be quite determined – setting that 4am alarm and getting up when it’s cold and dark outside is never easy.
“I had to go to bed at 7.30pm to get enough sleep.
“To keep going, I kept my ‘why’ in my mind – getting rid of my moobs, and getting a 25-year-old’s body.
“Over time, I started to see the muscles, especially my stomach muscles and lats.”
Six months in, earlier this month, he deemed the challenge a triumph.
While he only weighs 3kg less than his starting weight of 70.7kg, his fitness has improved, and he has lost fat and replaced it with muscle.
He said: “When you set yourself a challenge and achieve it, it feels so good.
“When you get to your 60’s, it’s easy to conform, but age is just a number, as clichéd as that sounds.
“You don’t have to look and feel old.
“You can have the body you want if you’re prepared to put in the work.”
“My newborn was born on the same day as her sister – they are exactly a year apart”
Meet the siblings who were born on the same day – exactly a year apart.
Little Sophia Searson Smith shot into the world on her sister Sienna’s first birthday.
Mum Ellie Searson Smith, 25, couldn’t believe it when she went into labour on the evening of her eldest daughter’s birthday after hoping to be induced the following week.
But Sophia was determined to come out – arriving weighing 6lbs 13oz with just 22 minutes to spare, at 11.38pm on September, 28 2024.
Ellie, a supermarket warehouse worker, from Halton, Cheshire, said: “She couldn’t wait 22 minutes for the next day.
“I still can’t believe it myself.
“It wasn’t planned.
“Considering Sienna is still a baby she really good with her [Sophia].
“They are going to have the strongest bond.”
Ellie was shocked when she found out she was pregnant in January 2024 – three months welcoming her first daughter Sienna with her partner Liam, 30, who works in a supermarket.
She was given the due date of October 9, 2024 but was advised that the baby would likely come earlier as she suffered with preeclampsia with Sienna.
Ellie had weekly scans to check everything was okay and was scheduled in for a induction on September 30, 2024 as doctors didn’t think she would reach October.
She said: “I didn’t want to have Sophia on her [Sienna’s] birthday.
“I had planned to go in on the 30th for an induction.
“Sienna’s birthday arrived and we had a fun shoot for her and did presents.
“At 8pm I’d sat down and was just about to eat my curry and chips.
“I started getting really bad pains.
“They started getting stronger and I was bleeding a bit.”
Liam rang ahead to Warrington Hospital and the couple arrived at around 10.13pm and Ellie was sent straight to the ward.
Suddenly she was pushing and Sophia was born.
Ellie said: “She was out with in minutes. 11 minutes she was out.”
Sophia had to spend three weeks in hospital as doctors discovered she had a very low blood sugar and she was later diagnosed with congenital hyperinsulinism – where high levels of insulin is produced.
Sophia is currently on medication three times a day to reduce her insulin secretion.
But Ellie said she is a happy baby.
She said: “She looks around. She’s dead smiley.”
Ellie says family and friends presume she planned to have her daughter’s on the same day but she now wouldn’t change it for the world.
She said: “I can’t wait until they get older.
“Life is so much better with them both in it.”
Ellie hasn’t planned their joint birthday party yet but may take them to soft play if Sophia is walking by then.
She said: “It will be expensive when they are growing up – they’ll probably be into different things.
“When they grow up I hope they love it [sharing a birthday].”
Expert’s 10 tips for self-doubt – including adopting a power pose
A nurse shares her top ten strategies for overcoming self-doubt – and says adopting a “power pose” can help boost confidence.
Christina Russell, 44, started questioning if her career truly made the impact she desired after two decades in nursing.
Now she has set up Christina Russell Coaching as a side hustle and helps clients overcome self-doubt and build flourishing lives.
Christina, who works in outpatient surgery in the operating room, from Ocala, Florida, said: “I’ve been in and out of nursing for the last 20 years, and most recently, I didn’t feel like the roles I was in were bringing forth any real change.”
Searching for a way to create meaningful, lasting transformations, she took a leap of faith — and a coaching course offered through her nursing platform.
That decision ultimately led her to build a thriving business as a life and wellness coach.
“I decided to start my own business, coaching others through life changes and different aspects of their health,” Christina explained.
“I focus on helping people prioritize themselves. I didn’t see that kind of supports system as a nurse.”
Christina’s journey into coaching was not just professional—it was deeply personal.
Struggling through a failing marriage, she began seeking her own therapists and coaches to guide her through a significant life transition.
“I had two coaches who inspired me to make changes in myself. I started focusing on my boundaries, my dreams, and my aspirations,” she said.
“I put myself first, and now I’m thriving. That’s what I try to teach other people.”
In her coaching, Christina frequently addresses the pervasive issue of self-doubt. Her strategies incorporate ten actionable steps.
1. Create a “WINS” Journal: Christina encourages clients to write down daily accomplishments, no matter how small.
“Sometimes simply acknowledging regular wins helps reinforce what you’re capable of,” she said. “It shifts the focus to your strengths rather than your failures.”
2. Rewire Your Inner Critic: Instead of succumbing to negative self-talk, Christina advises reframing it. “Treat yourself with the same respect you’d show a friend,” she shared.
“Replace ‘I’m not good enough’ with ‘I’m still learning, and this is part of the process.’”
3. Visualize Your Future Self: Christina emphasizes the power of imagining oneself as the person they aspire to become.
“Step into this mindset daily. It’s an incredible confidence booster.”
4. Adopt a Beginner’s Mindset: “Give yourself permission to not have all the answers,” she said. “Challenges are opportunities for growth, not failures.”
5. Surround Yourself with Growth-Minded People: Christina’s accountability group fosters this principle. Participants set daily goals and support one another.
“Positive energy is contagious,” she said.
6. Take Tiny Steps: Breaking down goals into small, manageable actions is a cornerstone of Christina’s philosophy. “Momentum builds confidence,” she noted.
7. Practice a Power Pose: Christina incorporates confidence-boosting postures into her coaching.
“Adopt a power pose for two minutes before tackling a challenging task. It’s proven to reduce stress and increase self-assurance.”
8. Learn to Celebrate Failure: Christina encourages clients to view setbacks as feedback. “List alternative solutions and view the problem as an outsider. It’s all part of growth.”
9. Ask for Feedback: “Honest feedback helps clients identify blind spots and strengths they may overlook,” she said.
10. Create a Personal Affirmation Ritual: Christina suggests writing affirmations that resonate with one’s values and goals.
“Say them aloud each morning to set a positive tone for the day,” she said.
Christina offers one-on-one sessions tailored to each client’s unique goals and challenges.
“I just listen to their story and help them cultivate their own plans to focus on themselves or create change in their lives,” she explained.
She works with clients over a three-month period, building strong relationships and guiding them through the ups and downs of personal growth.
Her recently launched accountability group is another extension of her mission.
Participants set daily goals, with “positive punishments” in place to encourage consistency.
“For me, it’s 50 burpees. For one of my clients, it’s walking two miles,” Christina shared. “It’s all about mental fitness and building consistency.”
For Christina, coaching fills a gap she saw in the healthcare system.
“I don’t want to bash the nursing community, but I don’t feel like patients are being listened to,” she said.
“A lot of our stressors — emotional, mental, and physical — are connected.
“Coaching brings about longer-lasting change by addressing the root causes instead of just prescribing medication or doctor shopping.”
Her programs are designed to create meaningful transformation.
She offers a 15-week coaching package for $1,200, which includes two introductory calls and weekly one-on-one sessions.
Her accountability group is available for $125 for three months or $250 for six months.
While building her business hasn’t been without its challenges, Christina finds support in the coaching communities she’s joined.
“I have my own business coach, a mindset coaching group, and a network of nurse coaches who went through the same program as me,” she explained.
“They provide support, and we share ideas on how to take care of ourselves while helping others.”
Ultimately, Christina’s journey from nurse to coach has been about empowerment — for herself and for her clients.
“I really like coaching,” she said. “I feel like I’ve brought forth real change in the people I’ve coached.
“And I’ve learned to prioritize myself in the process, which allows me to help others do the same.”
Autistic man who struggled to hug his kids because of condition sets new world record for hugging people
A man with autism who struggled to hug his kids because of his condition has set a new world record – for hugging people.
Arsenal Whittick, 62, says he previously had trouble showing affection to his daughters because of his neurodevelopmental condition .
But he overcame it to break a Guinness World Record for the most individuals hugged in 60 seconds – by embracing 91.
His two girls were first in line as part of the record attempt.
The father from Poole in Dorset said he hoped his attempt would lead to a ‘better understanding’ of autism spectrum disorder.
In a recent video shared by The Dolphin Poole on Facebook, Arsenal said: “I’d never really showed affection to my two girls and I didn’t realise it was hurting them.
“On 26th May 2011, I was diagnosed with autism and then I started to learn about autism, the things I can do the things I can’t do.
“One of the main things I wanted to do was be able to hug my two girls.
“Since then, the world record attempt has just been a goal to prove I can do it.
“To beat the world record would just be an honour for me to show people that give us time to process, and with the right help, we can do things.”
Over 100 locals arrived at The Dolphin Poole in support of his attempt at 1pm on Sunday (19 January),
The current record for most individuals hugged in 60 seconds is 88 people – which meant Arsenal needed to hug more than 90 people.
After four attempts, Arsenal achieved 91 hugs within the time limit – which was met with much celebration from his supporters.
The achievement marked a huge milestone for Arsenal – as he has struggled with physical affection for most of his life.
Arsenal’s daughters Sam and Danielle Whittick took the positions of first and last in line for hugs during their father’s attempt.
Sam expressed how proud she was of her father for attempting something of this magnitude, she said: “I think it’s incredible because he didn’t hug anybody ever and now, he’s trying to.
“He’s an all-or-nothing kind of a guy, so I think it’s really something to be proud of that he’s attempting this today.”
Arsenal’s record attempt is currently being verified by Guinness World Records, and is yet to be confirmed as a new world record.
John Grinnell, Centre Manager of The Dolphin, added: “The community came out in force to support Arsenal today and it’s heartwarming to see.
“We’re glad to have had the chance to bring the people of Poole together for such a great cause.
“It’s exactly the sort of thing our GATHER events space was designed for.”
The record will now be verified by Guinness.
