“I dress up as a giant ovary and run marathons after losing my sister to cancer”
A loving brother dresses as a giant ovary to run marathons – in memory of his sister who died of ovarian cancer.
Craig McMurrough, 54, aka Mr Ovary, had the 7ft 4ins costume custommade.
The enormous ovary, which has a bright pink fallopian tube coming out of the top, has facts about ovarian cancer printed on it.
Dad-of-one Craig dons the outfit to run marathons and other long distance races.
Craig, from near Cambridge, does this as part of his campaign to raise awareness of ovarian cancer.
A friend runs with him in an identical costume and they go by Mr and Ms Ovary.
Craig’s sister Cheryl Earnshaw, a speech therapist, died aged 43 of the illness leaving behind a close family including her husband and two children aged 7 and 9.
Craig, who works in business change management, said: “It’s a lot of fun!
“People don’t forget seeing two giant ovaries.
“Sometimes we get mistaken for other body parts – but at least it gets the conversation going.
“Cheryl’s death absolutely devastated our family.
“She was the most beautiful soul in the world – kids and parents she worked with loved her.
“It was awful – there was nothing they could do because it was so advanced – we just watched her slip away.
“It was so harrowing for all of us.
“I just want people to be aware of the early signs: it’s so important to catch it early.
“I just remember the specialist saying it had spread to so many places and chemo wasn’t an option – if I can change that for even one person it would be amazing.
Craig said at least two people have told him they’ve identified their own ovarian cancer early enough to get treatment because of awareness brought through his costume.
Cheryl first suffered with fatigue in April 2016, but a GP thought she had fibroids, Craig said.
Just weeks later she was so exhausted she was staying with her parents for respite, he said.
She was admitted to the Leicester Royal Infirmary when she started to suffer bloating, in early June and diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
The illness had spread and was untreatable, Craig said, and she died ten days after the diagnosis.
Cheryl, who worked for the NHS, had a unit in Leicestershire named after her, after she died on June 23 2016.
Craig’s family were very close, he said: he and Cheryl were just 1.5 years apart, and went to the same school and then on to Manchester university.
Craig also uses his running to raise money for the charity Ovacome and has racked up over £70,000 so far.
He had the idea to run as a giant ovary and got the costume specially made to fit his body.
He’s run five London Marathons in the costume, and among others has run the great north run, great south run, and half marathons in Birmingham, Blackpool, Sheffield, and Cambridge.
He’s won awards including the Points of Light award from Rishi Sunak and the World Record for the fastest ovary to do the London Marathon.
He also teamed up with a running friend, Sarah Temple, 46, who has an identical costume and goes by the name of Ms Ovary.
The ovaries are just thirteen pounds in weight and are worn with a harness to keep them in place.
Craig and Sarah have to have their arms stretched out to the side holding a bucket in each hand, which makes running very tough, Craig said.
The pair have targeted a different region of the country each year since 2020: running local races and doing fundraising presentations.
Craig’s been a long-distance runner for 20 years and ran a marathon in Dublin in 4 hours 20 minutes, ten years ago.
But he now runs to fundraise and raise awareness than to achieve a personal best, and said a marathon in the ovary costume can take up to seven hours.
“I find it so much more rewarding”, he said, “It’s never about the time and the more conversations you can have the better.
“Running in the ovary is very difficult – it’s lovely and warm in winter and extremely hot in summer.
“It acts like a wind tunnel: once I nearly got blown into the sea.”
“I turned the MRI noise into music to help me cope with my cancer diagnosis”
A man who was diagnosed with a brain tumour has turned the noise of an MRI machine into music – to relax while undergoing scans.
Alastair Cross, 40, first realised something was wrong when he started suffering from visual disturbances and intense headaches.
He originally put it down to stress but his doctor sent him for an MRI scan due to his sister previously being diagnosed with a brain tumour.
The result showed Alastair a mass on his brain and he underwent a craniotomy which removed 80 per cent of it.
A biopsy then revealed it was a grade 2 astrocytoma – a slow-growing brain tumour.
Alastair decided against chemotherapy and radiotherapy to remove the rest of the tumour and has had more than 20 MRI scans to date to monitor its growth.
Alastair found a unique way to cope with his frequent MRI scans by using the sounds and rhythms of the machine in his music.
Alastair, a visual effects artist, from Dublin, Ireland, now living in Vancouver, Canada, said: “The scans themselves are fine, but I admit there is always an element of nervousness about the conversation I have after the scans with my oncologist.
“I’ve been playing music since I was a kid and lying in the machine I often found myself drifting off to the rhythm of the different phases.
“I could imagine other instruments weaving in and out of the pattern the MRI machine was making, and I thought it would be cool to record them and see if I could create something musical from those sounds.
“I have created a unique and deeply personal body of work using the sounds from my regular MRI scans, transforming them into music that tells a story of resilience, hope, and empowerment.”
Alastair started noticing visual disturbances – “visual Déjà vu ” – and intense headaches in the summer of 2017.
His GP put it down to stress and Alastair agreed but his doctor sent him for an MRI due to his family history.
Alastair said: “I started to experience vision disturbances where I was unable to see people fully.
“It was very sporadic and not regular so I put it down to stress and migraines.
“The reason I got sent for an MRI was because my sister was diagnosed with a brain tumour prior to me.”
In September 2018, Alastair had his first MRI scan which showed there was a mass on his brain.
Then in November, he had an awake craniotomy where 80 per cent of the tumour was removed.
Alastair said: “The tumour was encased in an optic pathway at the right side of my head.
“They would scan an area of the brain and I would be doing field tests on an iPad.
“They were using that to gauge if the area they stunned was critical to my vision.”
After his craniotomy, a biopsy revealed Alastair had a grade 2 astrocytoma – a slow-growing brain tumour.
He was offered chemotherapy and radiotherapy but decided against that and instead is taking a more metabolic approach to his recovery.
And is having his tumour monitored the tumour with regular MRI scans.
Alastair said: “A few days after surgery I went to see the consultant who said the tumour was low grade which was a relief.
“They offered chemo and radiotherapy but I opted to monitor it.
“I had scans every three months and now I have them every six months.
“Some of my MRI scans have showed growth and some have been stable but I haven’t wanted to do chemo or radio.
“I have opted out of those treatment options because my quality of life is good.
“I am not ruling it out in the future but I am just not there yet.”
Since his diagnosis, Alastair has had more than 20 MRI scans and says his way of coping with them is turning the noise of the machine into music.
He said: “I found once I got over the initial claustrophobia of the scan and I was able to relax myself I could hear noises and beats.
“I used to hear melodies and I thought it would be a cool thing to sample and capture.
“When I started it became a cathartic process that helped me reframe everything from the fear of the future and diagnosis to maybe that there is a point of this.
“I do feel a lot more content in my life than I did before.”
Catherine Fraher, Director of Services and Digital Health at The Brain Tumour Charity, said: “We’re really grateful to everyone who shares their story to raise awareness of brain tumours.
“We know that every family deals with a brain tumour diagnosis and its aftermath in their own unique way.
“That’s why The Brain Tumour Charity offers support to anyone who needs it. It’s so important for them to know that they are not alone.”
“I’m an extreme day tripper – I flew to Switzerland to spend an hour up a mountain”
An extreme day tripper visited a different country for a DAY for five weekends in a row – including flying to Switzerland to spend one hour up a mountain.
Luke Simmonds, 35, got the bug to travel after the pandemic and came across a Facebook group sharing extreme day trips.
He decided to give the short trips a go and has spent the last year travelling.
Luke recently packed in five day tips on his weekends in September in October – visiting Italy, Poland and Lithuania.
He even flew to Switzerland and France to spend an hour up the mountain and to see Mont Blanc.
Luke aims to get the cheapest flights he can – spending as little as £8.99 on one way- flight tickets.
Luke, an IT consultant, from Guildford, Surrey, said: “It’s certainly cheaper than a day out to London.
“It gets addictive after a while.
“You can pretty much go anywhere for a day and have enough to occupy yourself.
“It’s a really good way to sample places – if you like a place you can go back.”
Luke spent the pandemic volunteering with the ambulance service and said it changed his view on life.
He said: “Not being able to travel made me want to more.
“I wanted to get out and see the world.”
In summer 2023 Luke travelled to three countries in Europe – Poland, Stockholm and Copenhagan – in a week.
He started booking day trips after joining a Facebook group of people doing the same.
He flew to Eindhoven, in the Netherlands, with his girlfriend Amy Hughes, 24, – spending just £30 each on return flights each – and said the day trips spiralled from there.
In the last year he has spent a day in Estonia, Monaco, Nice, Gdynia in Poland, Legoland Denmark, Nuremberg in Germany, Oslo in Norway, Churwalden in Switzerland, and Brussels.
He said: “Hotels are expensive. If you can just pay for flights you save so much money.”
In September Luke ended up going on a day trip for six weekends in a row.
He set off to Kaunas, Lithuania, with his brother, Olly Simmonds, 38, for just 17 hours. They flew from Luton with Wizz Air on a £12.99 flight and arrived at 00:55am.
They spent the next day visiting the war museum, Kaunas Castle and wandered around the town before heading back on £33.69 per person flights.
The following weekend headed off to Grindelwald, Switzerland, with strangers from the Facebook group.
They set off from Gatwick at 7am to Basel on a £38.99 flight before getting a bus, two trains and a cable car.
Luke said: “We had an hour and a bit up the mountain. The views were stunning.
“Once you’re up the mountain – how long do you really need?”
The friends had a late lunch in the village before catching two trains back to Zürich airport to catch their evening flight.
Luke spent the next weekend on a solo trip to Wrocław, Poland – spending £42.17 on his flights and £134.36 in total.
He said: “I had a free weekend. I had a really nice time.”
In October, Luke headed to the French Alps with his friends from the Facebook page.
They flew to Geneva on an 8.10am flight before hopping in a hire car to travel the hour to Chamonix.
The pals went up in the cable car to ascend the Aiguille Du Midi and see Mont Blanc.
Luke said: “It was enough time to see the mountain.
“The views from the top are breathtaking with loads of snow. It was a stunning sunny and crisp day with unlimited visibility. We had amazing views of Mont Blanc and the surrounding mountains.
“We all got altitude sickness.”
Luke flew to Pisa, Italy, the next weekend with Amy – and did the whole trip for less than £90.
Luke was meant to go on a trip to Malaga the following weekend but bailed when his plane hit a bird and had to do an emergency landing.
The couple saw the sights and ate pizza and ice cream.
He already has seven more day trips booked – including a trip to Agadir, Morocco on £8.99 tickets.
Now a seasoned day tripper, Luke says his top tips are not being set on a location and planning ahead to get cheaper flights.
He also says it is worth looking out for the airport sales and being flexible on your destination and timings.
Luke said: “There’s so many places out there you can go to.
“It’s a different way of travelling.”
Kaunas, Lithuania
Flights: £46.68
Lounge: £0.00
Hotel: £12.50
Food and Drink: Approx €25 (£21.10)
Train to Luton Airport £9.19
National Express Coach back £15.50
Funicular: €1 (£0.84)
Kaunas Taxi: €12.50 (£10.55)
Bolts: €8.15 (3 journeys) (£6.88)
Museum: €5 (£4.22)
Total: £127.46
Grindelwald, Switzerland
Flight costs: £93.99
Train: £46.73
Cable Car: £61
Food and Drink: Approx £35
UK travel costs approx £42.40
Total cost: £279.12
Poland
Flights: £42.17
National Express Coaches: £29.00
Bolts in Poland: £26.52
Food and Drink: £27.50
Museum: £9.17
Total: £134.36
Chamonix, France
Costs:
Flights: £38.98
Share of Hire Car: Approx £38
Cable Car: €78.00 (£65.85)
Food and Drink: €11 (£9.20)
UK train ticket: £13.65
Total: £165.68
Pisa, Italy
Costs per person:
Flights: £40.24
Rail Replacement Bus: £0.00
National Express Coach: £17.00
Pisa Mover: £10.90
Food and Drink: £19.29
Total: £87.43
Meet the pint-size Picasso who picked up a brush at six months old
By Freddie Noble
Meet pint-sized Picasso – the world’s youngest male artist who first picked up a brush at just six months old.
Little Ace-Liam Nana Sam Ankrah, now 22 months, created his first masterpiece – a “vibrant abstract piece” – aged six months after his parents set up the activity to keep him entertained.
His mum, Chantelle Kuuka-Eghan, 25, immediately noticed her son’s artistic ability and encouraged him to keep expressing himself through art.
Since then Ace-Liam has painted 30 abstract pictures using bright colours and his paintings started to gain traction after his mum set up his Instagram account.
He’s gone on to exhibit his artwork in galleries and also sells his paintings – which range from a $200 to $1k each.
Ace-Liam has sold 11 pieces so far, including nine at auction at the Science and Technology Museum in Accra, Ghana – becoming the youngest person to exhibit a painting there.
The tot was officially declared the world’s youngest painter at one year and 152 days by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Proud mum Chantelle said: “It was quite nerve-wracking because there were people that had also applied for Guinness World Record but most of them were disqualified.
“While waiting for the result, I was so nervous and anxious, thinking maybe we could be in the same situation as them.
“However, he was the first person to receive a successful email – making him the youngest painter in the world.
“As much as he is into art and got this recognition, he’ll grow up to be a normal kid but with a little bit less spotlight.”
At six month old Ace-Liam picked up the paint brush for the first time and his mum said he could “barely” hold it.
She said: “He could barely hold his brush so he used his palms and he also tried to stand up, so you can see his footprint as well.
“When he was around 11 months I had no idea he knew how to dip a brush into paint and put it onto a canvas.
“He started choosing his own colours and learning which colours match with each other because sometimes he would pick pink and then he would match it with purple.”
Ace-Liam displayed 10 of his artworks at the Science and Technology Museum in when he was 1 year 4 month.
Most of his paintings use a technique where the painting is moved across the canvas using hands and feet to create a unique finish.
Chantelle said: “I have given him his own studio space and I have set up everything in a way that is to his height.
“He goes there and reaches and paints himself and choses the colours, even the brush size he wants to use.
“When he is extremely happy he goes in for neon colours and sometimes he gets a little bit relaxed and just wants to try out new things.
“When I get him a new sets of paint, he goes more to the multi colours but I think his favourite colour is pink as well.”
In June, 2023 Chantelle entered Ace-Liam into the Guinness World Records and said she was “confident” that Ace-Liam would get the record.
She said: “We applied in June 2023. One of the rules is that it had to be attempted by a male and by someone who paints.
“They mention that the person has to be a part of a professional arts exhibition.
“I was super excited because I was nervous prior to getting the result just because other people had attempted the record and have been disqualified.
“At the same time I was very confident because I had taken my time to read the rules.”
On May 13, 2024, Ace-Liam received the news he had become the world’s youngest painter but his mum Chantelle said he is none the wiser.
She said: “He’s getting more attention than usual, frankly he doesn’t know what it is for.
“When he is on TV and there are cameras on him, usually there are requests for him to a live painting demonstration.”
Woman catfished by fake Gary Barlow meets the real deal
By Josie Adnitt
A woman who was catfished by a scammer pretending to be Gary Barlow met the singer after he saw her story and reached out to help.
Janet Smith, 62, believed she was talking to the Take That singer for about a week after she added him as a friend on Facebook.
But after the catfish bombarded her with compliments and told her he had “split up,” she grew suspicious and convinced the scammer to reveal their true identity.
The cheat said he was actually a 24-year-old man from Nigeria and was sorry for lying to her, but told Janet he really did love her and asked for cash.
The real Gary Barlow heard about what happened and invited her to Take That’s Carrow Road show in Norwich last night (28).
Before the gig, he met Janet, who gifted him a box of Milk Tray “for the boys.”
Pizza restaurant worker Janet, from Colchester, Essex, said: “Gary came running down the corridor saying hello and gave me a hug.
“He said he was so sorry about what happened and asked how I was – it was lovely.
“He came out with a jogging suit on. He wasn’t snobby. He was down to earth.
“I bought him a mug, some Mars bars, and some Milk Tray chocolates for the boys.
“He loved the mug and got a picture of us with it.
“He’s very kind – fame hasn’t gone to his head. It was like seeing a friend in the street.
“I told him I love dancing and showed him a dance, and he said ‘we need people like you’ and said he loved my vibe.
“I was laughing and he was laughing – he’s really kind and friendly. He gave me a cuddle and didn’t judge me.
“I always live each day like it could be your last. I don’t think he’s going to forget me.
“Even when he went he was shouting goodbye, it was wonderful.”
Janet believed she was speaking to the real “Back for Good” singer after adding what appeared to be his profile on Facebook on March 26.
However, she soon became suspicious that all was not as it seemed and realized the man she was speaking to couldn’t be the real Gary Barlow.
She managed to unmask the scammer after telling him he could have her WhatsApp number in exchange for his true identity.
The man confessed his love for her and said he came from a poor family, asking her for cash “to get some food in Nigeria.”
Janet said the whole experience had left her feeling “really guilty” and has shared her story to help others spot similar scammers in the future.
Man strikes up unlikely friendship with robins
By Lottie Vonhenning
A man has struck up an unlikely friendship with robins which he has hand fed every day for eleven years.
Karl Shelton, 49, was out walking his dog one day when one of the birds came down and flew onto the ground.
The following day, Karl returned to the same spot with a piece of flapjack.
Every day, the red-breasted garden bird got closer and closer, and Karl has now created a community of local robins that join him for a meal twice a day.
Karl started this habit 11 years ago and has fed some of the birds for up to seven years.
Karl, who lives in Bridgenorth, Shropshire, said: “One day, when I was out walking my dog, a robin came down and flew onto the ground where I was walking.
“The next day, I came back with a piece of flapjack and the robin got closer and closer day by day.
“I fed that robin for seven years in total until one day it just stopped showing up, which I suppose is just how it goes.
“The second robin that I met and began to feed also met with me every day for seven years; I named him Cash because he had a scar on his chin, just like Johnny Cash!”
As a full-time carer for his partner, who deals with chronic back joint pain and depression, Karl is rarely able to have a scheduled break.
His daily walks with his red fell terrier were a way to get him out of the house, and it has since become much more important.
Karl is now greeted by many robins each day and will feed them worms which he buys off of Amazon.
He said: “Robins are quite territorial but once the other nearby territories caught on, all the robins would come out and feed together.
“My partner loves to watch the videos as well. She is practically housebound, so it’s a nice treat for her to see the robins.”
Man befriends rescue squirrel – who now ‘helps’ him at work
A man has befriended a squirrel – who now visits him every day and “helps” in his jewelry shop.
Todd Alan, 61, started his business in 1986 and set up his first store in 1990.
In September last year, a neighbor found an injured squirrel in the road and brought it to Todd.
After bottle-feeding him every three hours for three weeks, Todd eventually nursed him back to health and named him Charlie.
Since then, Charlie has been a regular in the workshop – “helping” Todd work on all his projects.
Todd, of Sarasota in Florida, USA, said: “Charlie lived with us for a little while and commuted into work with me every day.
“He was interested in whatever I was holding or working on including pens, jewelry tools, pieces of jewelry and he was especially interested in my hands.
“We set up a tree, swings and other squirrel-appropriate fun items like coconut shells in the workshop for him.
“He enjoyed jumping around, exploring and playing in the workshop.”
In December last year, Todd decided it was time for Charlie to return to the wild.
He said: “We raised him to save him and not as a pet.
“We wanted to get him accustomed to the wild and took him outside daily.”
Initially, Charlie was gone for two days but he eventually returned.
Now he lives in the wild but visits Todd daily, usually early in the morning and around sunset.
The reaction on social media and in store has completely taken Todd by surprise, with people loving the squirrel who “works” in the jewelry store.
Todd said: “We have many Charlie fans.
“Customers who visit the store often ask about him and one fan even sent him nuts and a squirrel bed!
“The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive and surprising.”
Woman spends £384k transforming abandoned "one euro" house into dream home
By Emma Dunn and Hannah Van De Peer
An American woman turned an abandoned "one euro" house into a £384k dream home - with a spa, outdoor kitchen and wine cellar.
Meredith Tabbone, 45, decided to bid on a one euro house on a "whim" after her friend sent her an article on the scheme.
Bids started at just a euro - but she threw in a random offer of £4,400 - for a 1600s disused building in Sambuca di Sicilia in Sicily, Italy.
The building had no electricity or running water, and the roof was thick with asbestos.
Meredith bought the home next door for £27,000 and knocked through to create a four bedroom, five bathroom property.
She spent £384k and five years creating her dream vacation house fit with an outdoor kitchen, spa and an outdoor party room.
Meredith, a financial adviser, from Chicago, Illinois, US, said: “The house was in very bad condition - but in many ways, it was everything I expected it to be and more.
"It had so much charm.
“It had such interesting architectural detail - you could really see the history coming through the walls. But it was a fixer-upper, to say the least.
"It was worth it. It turned out well.
"It's modern but in keeping. It's a vacation home."
Meredith began researching how to get an Italian citizenship in 2016 and discovered her dad Michael's great-grandfather, Fillippo Tabbone, came from Sambuca di Sicilia - a small village in Sicily.
After reading an article on people bidding on one euro houses in Italy, Meredith threw in a bid in January 2019 and found out she has been successful in May of that year.
She started work on it a month later - spending £661 to remove the roof in an environmentally-safe way.
In August 2020, she bought the home next door via a private sale to knock through and create a 3,000 square foot property.
Meredith said: “When we first saw the house - it was 750 square feet, it had no electricity, running water or windows - and it was thick with asbestos.
“At first, the plan was just to turn it into a small getaway house.
“While we originally just wanted it as a tiny getaway - we’ve turned it into a dream home."
Meredith has bought two guest houses in the same village for £28k in total which will need minor repairs.
She also bought a disused building for £58k, which she's turning into an art gallery and apartment for artists to stay in.
Meredith is currently gathering the plans and workforce to start renovating the gallery later this year.
After five years of hard work, Meredith's holiday home was finally completed in April 2024 - and she now spends four months a year out in Italy.
She said: "It was very slow and tedious.
"The sunsets are spectacular."
Meredith recommends people consider buying a one euro home but said it's not for the faint hearted.
She said: "I went all in.
"If you can gather the strength it is worth it."
Mum told she would never walk again is competing to be the world's strongest woman
by Jake Meeus-Jones
A mum told she would never walk again after a freak rugby accident is competing to be crowned the world's strongest woman.
Nikki Ellerington, 45, says her sporting dreams were in tatters when she suffered a bad ankle break while playing rugby - with doctors telling her she'd likely never walk again.
After six to eight months of rehabilitation, Nikki defied the odds to take her first steps since her accident and even went on to be able to run 10km within three years.
Determined Nikki wasn't prepared to give up and soon began taking up cross-fit and training to get fit.
In October 2023, she was selected to compete in the over 40s category in the World Finals of the Official Strongman Games in Charleston, West Virginia, US, through an online qualifier.
The mum-of-four spent three days lifting huge weighted stones, sandbags, backpacks and 70kg metal blocks - and finished 21st out of 28 in her category.
Nikki has also gone on to compete at the Official Strongman Games in England and will soon be heading off to compete in Finland.
Nikki, a personal trainer, from Hull, East Yorkshire, said: "I'd been to Strongman expos over the years so it had always been an interest but I thought I wouldn't be able to do it.
"I wanted to start training with stones, logs and cars for example.
"It was quite daunting at first but your perspective changes when injuries happen and you just don't care.
"It was great out there in America.
"I wasn't out there long so I didn't see much of it, but sitting with my idols from a young age was amazing.
"You're sat sharing jokes and having a laugh with them, it was crazy.
"Doing the walkout with the national flags was really emotional too.
"I was the first out on stage so that was quite daunting. I came 21st overall. I was expecting to come last so I wasn't disappointed at all. I was really happy."
Nikki - who is mum to Callum, 21, Lena, 19, Darcy, 16 and Neil, 13 - says if she hadn't done well or enjoyed her first-ever competition, she might not have continued.
She said: "The gym I did the first competition at now sponsors me.
"But I've always said that if it had been a horrible experience I probably wouldn't have done it again.
"It was quite hard for me to accept the changes to my body and that I was going to get bigger when I started lifting weights.
"My upper body has really changed."
An avid Strongman fan, having attended Strongman expos across the country, Nikki decided she wanted to give it a go in February 2023.
After some intense training, she entered her first competition - coming fourth.
Soon she was winning competitions, but at the same time, another problem with her other ankle arose in April 2023.
Doctors told Nikki she had sprained her ankle and she continued to train, but in August it was revealed that she had in fact broken it.
Thankfully, when she contacted the organisers of the Official Strongman Games, she was told she could still compete.
She said: "I was worried that that was going to be another setback until I was signed off from the clinic about two weeks before I flew to America.
"It was around six to eight weeks between the time it started hurting and the actual diagnosis.
"It then healed itself. I've been so lucky.
"I found out at the last minute I had my place. I asked them to take into account I'd been injured and they told me I'd qualified anyway, which was great."
With little to support her trip, Nikki turned to fundraising to raise around £1,800 to allow her to live out her dream.
She said: "I had no money to get there so we did fundraising events at work, the gym, with family and friends and everyone was so supportive.
"I had to fuel up properly.
"I brought in a nutritionist and she helps me with my food, my mental health and she's kept me grounded - she's a genius. I've also got a coach for the training side of things.
"The first challenge was an overhead medley - which was an axle press, a dumbbell press and a yoke press which is like a big frame and lastly a block press that weighed 70kg.
"The next was a frame carry with the frames shipped over from Australia.
"No one had seen or used them before. I struggled with that, a lot of us did.
"The final day was a deadlift with a weighted backpack and carrying a sandbag whilst pulling a sled."
Nikki has since gone on to compete in England’s Strongest Woman competition, finishing in 8th place and has qualified for Official Strongman Games Europe.
She said: "Only the top 10 per category qualify for Europe and it's hard work to qualify."
Dad turns Henry vacuum into mini-motorbike
By Sally Murrer and Douglas Whitbread
An eccentric dad has revealed how he turned a Henry vacuum cleaner into a mini ride-on motorbike.
Systems engineer Allan Gallop, 35, worked with a team of enthusiasts to fit the broken appliance with a two-stroke 50cc engine, handlebars and new wheels.
And the retrofitted machine can now achieve a top speed of 28mph – with hilarious footage showing a rider taking it for a spin along a stretch of tarmac.
But the inventor joked that the converted appliance – dubbed ‘Henry Hoofer’ – still handles like a household cleaner around the corners.
Allan, a dad-of-three, said: “Almost all the parts are recycled junk, with the exception being the braking system and tyres.
“The top speed is currently unknown as no one has been brave enough to find out yet.
“In theory, it should be around 28mph – but unfortunately he still handles corners as poorly as he did as a hoover.”
Allan, from Milton Keynes, Bucks., said he had struck upon the bizarre idea with members of a local charity group, called Men in Sheds MK.
The members, many of whom are retired, fabricate individual and collective projects, using wood, metal and electronics at a workshop.
And Allan said they had been speculating about what to bring to a national gathering of inventors when they struck upon the idea of converting the hoovers.
He said: “I’m not sure who came up with motorised Henry Hoovers but it was an instant win of an idea. My brain immediately leapt to ‘put an engine in it’.
“One of our members managed to secure around six broken Henry hoovers and when they arrived I realised that not only would a 50cc pocket bike engine fit but it could be rideable.
“The work began in earnest by stripping down the Henry to just the outer shell and cutting away most of the bottom and internal support structure to take measurements.
“I knew it would be a tight fit but on paper, it all worked out, so I began creating a frame from steel angle to mount the engine, steering and drivetrain.”
Allan said the hardest part of the design process was trying to fit the axle to the back of the hoover, which could support a set wheels.
He said: “The biggest struggle with the build was the rear axle – it’s 10mm diameter as that was the only size I could find pillow blocks in that also fitted the frame
“I was very fortunate that the shed had recently received a large lathe and milling machine as a donation and a fellow member was a retired machine shop teacher.
“Between us, we managed to design and fabricate custom flanges and hubs to hold bolt the wheels, sprocket and brakes to with a high level of precision.”
Allan said the machine cost very little to produce as most of the parts had been collected from junk and other recycled materials.
But he said if each component was purchased new, the motorised cleaners would cost around £400 to make.
The prototype was finally completed early this year, and after Allan posted videos of the hoover on TikTok, it received half a million views.
He added: “Well, it’s funny, isn’t it? I expected people to say ‘Look at this nutter riding a Henry Hoover
“But before I knew it the video had hit a million views! Suddenly I find people talking about it.
“I’m ecstatic at the popularity Henry has gathered because it brings some joy into the world, and that’s what is really important.”
