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.
“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.”
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
“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].”
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.”
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.
“I live with over 1,000 spiders – I help people overcome their fears of creepy crawlies”
Meet the man who lives with over 1,000 tarantulas – and travels up and down the country helping people overcome their fears of creepy crawlies.
Aaron Phoenix, 37, began accumulating them in the summer of 2021 to help with his mental health and believes he was “born to save spiders.”
He keeps the spiders across two locations – his “tarantula cave” in his house and a separate premises used for breeding – and says the biggest is the size of a dinner plate.
After hitting the papers last year for his incredible collection, Aaron has added a further 300 of the arachnids to his spider home.
Thanks to the exposure, Aaron has now travelled the country helping people who may have previously been scared of the animals take an interest in them.
Aaron, a house removals specialist, from Yate, South Glos., said: “It’s easily over 1000 now.
“It sounds like a lot but in the spider-world, it’s not.
“When you’re breeding spiders they can have anything from 20 babies to a few thousand.
“I rescued well over 200 spiders last year – I get messages all the time from people who’ve had large collections who want to downsize or fallen out of love with the hobby.”
Aaron first started collecting when doctors told him a hobby could help his mental health following a bipolar diagnosis.
The inspiration came from a pet tarantula he had as a teen but tragically had to give up.
His collection quickly grew – and now he rescues abandoned arachnids from around the country, as well as working towards being able to sell the animals to other collectors and spider-lovers.
Aaron said helping people overcome their spider fears has been “rewarding.”
He added: “After the last story went out I had so many people message me showing interest in the different colours and species and a lot of people asked me to help them get over their fears.
“So I’ve been travelling around to people more or less all over the country.
“It’s quite a fun one to do.
“A lot of people are fascinated with spiders so helping someone get from the point being petrified to then holding a spider in their hand is amazing.
“9/10 times I’ve got to them to the point where they can hold one.
“It’s so rewarding helping people get over their fears – though the majority of my family are petrified of spiders still!”
Aaron also hosts children’s birthday parties and is focused on getting his breeding facility up and running.
In terms of space needed to store 1,000 spiders, Aaron says he doesn’t need as much as people might think.
He said: “Believe or not they’re mostly just in one room.
“I have my facility that I’m setting up for breeding and I also have a separate room in my house.
“They don’t actually need a lot of space, unlike snakes.
“A lot of the babies/spiderlings are kept in these vial pots when they’re young.
“I believe I was born to save spiders, rescue them and help people get over their fears.
“When it comes to feeding and rehousing I take precautions so that they don’t escape.”
Meet the disabled West End dancer – who performs every night on crutches
A disabled dancer who performs on the West End using her crutches is fed up of trolls saying she “looks silly”.
Sophia Adzoa-Moore, 25, has used crutches full time since 2013, after waking up one morning unable to walk.
She was diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) in July 2024, which causes severe pain in her hips and joints, as well as fatigue and dizziness.
At the age of 18, she nearly quit performing to study backstage theatre production – as she didn’t think she’d be able to dance on crutches.
But she decided to start applying to dance colleges throughout 2020 and 2021 – and after being accepted to the Performance Preparation Academy (PPA) in Guildford, Surrey, Sophia “hasn’t looked back”.
Sophia, a musical theatre performer, from Tower Hamlets, London, said: “I walk into the room and feel the attention on me like: ‘Why is she in this dance class?’ – but I’m good at what I do.
“Yes, sometimes me being different will get me in the room – but that means I’m giving disability representation.
“I do have talent – at the end of the day, I’ve got a musical theatre degree.
“But I’m learning that no matter what gets me in the room, I’m getting to do what I’ve dreamed of doing.”
Sophia began taking dance classes from the age of three – at 10, she got to star in the West End Production of Billy Elliot.
She knew, even from a young age, how much she wanted to grow up to be a professional dancer – and her hope was to attend a performing arts college at 18.
But Sophia says her plans were almost scuppered when at 13, she woke up one day unable to walk – due to severe pain in her left hip.
“I woke up one day when I was 13 and stopped being able to walk,” she said.
“My mum took me to the GP immediately – but it took a while to convince them that my problem wasn’t hormonal or psychological.
“My left hip was painful, it felt really heavy, and I couldn’t do anything.”
After months of back and forth, Sophia’s GP finally referred her for an arthrotomy – a surgical procedure that involves making an incision into the joint to examine or repair it.
She underwent the operation on September 5, 2013, at Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, – and for the first eight to 10 months was able to walk normally again.
But the pain in her joints and hip relapsed, leaving her back on crutches.
For the next six years, Sophia underwent five further arthrotomies and had five more relapses.
“It got to about 19 – I’d missed out on lots of school,” she said.
“I saw a doctor about my hips, who referred me for a periacetabular osteotomy – which realigns the hip socket.
“It didn’t work long-term – and it got to the point where it looks like nothing was working.”
By the time Sophia reached university age, she’d realised she was likely to need crutches for the rest of her life.
She initially enrolled to study backstage production at the Guildford School of Acting (GSA) – giving up on her life-long dream.
But just three weeks in, she dropped out – knowing it wasn’t what she wanted to do.
Sophie said: “I didn’t want to be backstage – I wanted to be on stage.
“The pandemic hit, and I started taking lots of online dance classes – I started to realise: ‘Who’s going to tell me I can’t dance on crutches?’
“I thought I’d give it a go, and started sending audition tapes to these dance universities.
“I got accepted into the PPA, and I just graduated in July 2024.”
Despite getting accepted into her dream dance school, Sophia says she kept having to fight “imposter syndrome” as a disabled dancer.
She felt rejected by others as soon as she walked into a room – and worried people would think she was accepted into the school just because of her disability.
Even now, with multiple West End shows under her belt, Sophia has to say daily affirmations in order to keep her confidence high.
“In October, I performed in an ensemble cast at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane,” Sophia said.
“I had the time of my life – and I was so lucky to be surrounded by such amazing people.
“But I worried I was only there because I was disabled – that’s how I went in and felt.”
In spite of her fears, Sophia says she’s gone on to prove herself wrong and now feels the “sky is the limit”.
Now she’s conquered the West End, the dancer says she’d like to go on to do longer UK tours, movie musicals – and even become a back-up dancer for Beyoncé.
“Trolls tell me I’m only half a dancer – that I look silly,” she said.
“But, I can move really fast on my crutches.
“I feel like the sky is the limit – I’d love to do a movie musical, like ‘Wicked’ – or dance back-up for a huge singer like Beyoncé.
“Or if Broadway wants me, I’ll take that.”
Weightlifter with Down Syndrome set for his first competition
A competitive weightlifter with Down Syndrome says he was inspired by “hero” World’s Strongest Man Tom Stoltman – and is set for this first competition.
Richard Sutherland, from Inverness, Scotland, is currently training for his first ever contest later this summer.
The 50-year-old, who trains with Inverness Olympic Weightlifting Club, will be taking part at the Northern District Championship in June.
Sutherland, who lives at Oak Ridge Residential Home, will be taking part in an adaptive weightlifting competition, which will also be taking place at Inverness Olympic Weightlifting Club’s premises in Merkinch.
Sutherland was inspired to get involved into weightlifting after watching Invergordon athlete Tom Stoltman’s success in the World Strongest Man competition.
Sutherland also had the opportunity to meet Stoltman at Inverness Olympic Weightlifting Club where he had the chance to train alongside him and get some tips on how to improve his strength and conditioning.
He said what Stoltman has achieved during his career was a major reason why he decided to get into weightlifting in the first place. He hopes that he can have as much success in competition as he has had.
Sutherland said: “Tom Stoltman is my hero.
“He came down to the gym to meet me here and also gave me a talk on how to train for competition and I learned a lot.”
He has been encouraged to take part in the competition by his coach Jordan Bowie, who runs Inverness Olympic Weightlifting Club, which he established in 2023.
Bowie, who also takes part in weightlifting competitions as well as running the club, first saw an adaptive weightlifting competition while he was competing at an event in England last year.
After seeing adaptive weightlifting in action for himself, he thought that Sutherland was ready to take part in competition after progressing well in weightlifting since becoming a member at the club.
Bowie said: “When I went down to compete at the British Open in Devon, I also saw that there was an adaptive weightlifting competition taking place at the same time.
“After watching the adaptive weightlifting event, I thought it was a great idea. When I got back to Inverness, I approached Richard about the possibility of him getting involved and taking part in competition.
“He has been really keen to take part and we have been training for it ever since.
“He will now be competing at the Northern District Championships at the club in June and it is the biggest weightlifting competition in the north.
“It is a competition which I think he could do really well in.”
Sutherland says he is taking his preparation seriously for the competition as he trains at least twice a week with the guidance of his coach.
As well as training at Inverness Olympic Weightlifting Club on Tuesday mornings, he also heads with Bowie to Forge Gym on Carsegate Road on Friday as he is continually looking to improve his technique.
During sessions, Sutherland says that he likes to train along with playing music from his favourite musician, Elvis Presley. He also likes to play music from the film soundtrack of Rocky during training and he also does boxing as part of his training regime.
Sutherland says that he has become fitter and stronger since he started weightlifting, which was his original aim when he first decided to take up the sport.
Happy with the progress that he has made since taking up weightlifting, he feels he is ready to make the next step and compete in competition.
Sutherland said: “I feel like I have got into better shape and have become fitter since I decided to take up weightlifting.
“That is why I do it.
“My favourite lift is the deadlift as it involves lifting the weight straight from the floor and includes snatches and clean jerk which I have become good at.”
Bowie says Sutherland’s dedication to weightlifting is showing as his results are improving as he continues to train. His personal best in the deadlift is 130kg and is on target to lift even more this year.
He said: “We started Richard off with strength exercises and then we progressed into deadlifts.
“A deadlift is picking up a weighted bar from the floor and hinging your hips backwards.
“After that we then moved into snatch and clean jerk.
“Since Richard first started, he has come on fantastically well in weightlifting. He is a good listener and is willing to improve his skills and has improved massively as a weightlifter.
“We have been doing lots of weightlifts, including deadlifts and we have moved on to Olympic training in the last month.
“He trains twice a week at Inverness Olympic Weightlifting Club and Forge Gym and we have developed a good training regime for him.”
The Northern District Championship takes place at Inverness Olympic Weightlifting Club in June and it will be the first time that the club is hosting a Scottish Weightlifting competition.
Looking forward to making his debut in competitive weightlifting, Sutherland says that he is looking to make a big impact and come out on top in his category.
He said: “I am looking to get a trophy at the competition.”
