Today is International Women’s Day and we want to celebrate all women in their power and glory by sharing the stories and experiences of some of our amazing This Girl Can ambassadors.
For many women, getting active can feel daunting and intimidating but our ‘This Girl Can Essex’ campaign aims to encourage women, of all shapes and sizes, to claim their space and to get moving however they feel best. Our ambassadors are all women with different abilities and different motives to get active but all share one common goal: to keep on moving in their own way and inspiring other women and girls in Essex to do the same.
Unsurprisingly, the last year has been one of the toughest and most gruelling for many in our community. Lockdowns and isolation caused stress and pressures that we didn’t know existed to our work and family lives. The year has also brought our health and fitness into sharp focus and this was especially true for our This Girl Can ambassador, Angelique.
Angelique is a dance fitness instructor. Last year she received a breast cancer diagnosis. She said: “It was one of the toughest years of my life – a life changing year. I started last year with a breast cancer diagnosis and ended it with COVID-19! I had a few relationship challenges thrown in for good measure. What a year!”
Despite the obstacles and pressures that Angelique faced, she is grateful for 2020 and the resilience she has developed to face it all. She said: “I found the strength within me to deal with all of these challenges which often felt unsurmountable, thanks to my family, friends and my faith. I had to cling on to my faith to get me through each day. It was an incredibly traumatic and challenging time. I had to deal with a lot of fear and anxiety of my illness and treatments plus other unfortunate stresses.”
Angelique didn’t share her diagnosis with her classes, but found that continuing to lead them helped. She commented: “I found the strength to carry on and run my classes through it all. I just wanted to move forward everyday with positivity and keep going for my students during the lockdowns. I didn’t make it public then. I wanted to deal with it and get through it. I didn’t want to dwell on it and feel sorry for myself or have others feel sorry for me.”
Speaking out about her cancer diagnosis now is an important step for Angelique. She said: “I don’t want to hide this life changing event, I don’t want to pretend it didn’t happen. It is part of me, it has made me a stronger person and taught me to appreciate the important things in life.”
For Angelique, positivity and fitness have been the key components in her recovery. She explained: “I appreciate even more, the value of health and happiness in my life. It was my fitness that helped me recover quicker and positivity that helped me cope. I found inner strength that I never knew I had to cope and to let go of things that were causing me stress. These are tough but invaluable life lessons.”
In sharing her story with us now and the ways in which keeping positive and active have helped, Angelique hopes that anyone going through a similar experience takes some hope and encouragement that they can also get through it. She said: “I really want to reach out to people and help them keep fitter in body and mind and give them courage.”
All of us at Active Essex are grateful to Angelique and to our This Girl Can ambassadors for the work they do to keep inspiring us and others.
Our International Women’s Day celebrations will continue throughout the day with our Women Like Us Festival: a whole host of fun workouts that you can take part in at home with other amazing women across Essex on our YouTube Channel and Facebook Live. Click here for more information!
