As a fellow teacher, hyperactive mum of 3 & runner, when I read an interview in 'The Times - Weekend' magazine (23/3/19) with former Deputy Head Teacher, mum & all-round superwoman, Deborah James, I felt really moved & inspired! (see article links below)
This incredible young sassy soul has a bleak prognosis due to having Stage 4 bowel cancer but has found the energy - despite everything that cancer & life has thrown at her - to create a public platform to raise awareness of the disease & to celebrate living! You can listen to the award-winning podcast: You, Me & the Big C - which she and fellow podcasters, the late Rachel Bland & Lauren Mahon, developed; you can read her book: 'F*** You Cancer: How to Face the Big C, Live Your Life and Still be Yourself' & her energetic/honest articles & watch her powerful interviews too - just google her. Whenever I feel a bit overwhelmed, I only have to look at Deborah's instagram or twitter @bowelbabe & I immediately feel motivated & humbled. She is just AWESOME!
Deborah is running the Vitality London 10000 as part of the #CelebrateYou movement - this is an effervescent group of wonderful women (including award-winning Telegraph Journalist, Bryony Gordon, Lauren Mahon, Giovanna Fletcher & Andrea McLean & lots of us everyday gals) who are pounding the streets in our sports' underwear* to celebrate a positive attitude to our bodies - no matter what shape or size: we are just hugely grateful that our bods are doing their thing - even in the face of adversity (as in Deborah's case!) * I'm wearing the modest teacher's version, of course but it does have my name emblazoned across my bottom! - courtesy of Runderwear.
Finally, as so many of us are affected by cancer, it's only right to use this brilliant event to raise £££ for Cancer Research UK, as we all want to tackle the Big C! (My maternal gran, Betty, died of liver cancer in her fifties - too soon before we got to discuss our mutual love of fashion - she had a shoe collection to rival Imelda Marcos! - & my friend Claire, a mum of 3, a biology teacher & cycling fanatic, died of a brain tumour far too young in her early forties).
So to help Cancer Research UK, all those experiencing cancer, the ethos of body positivity and as a nod to the legendary Deborah James (& us teachers out there too), please can you support this by giving a donation to my Justgiving page for Cancer Research UK.
Apologies for this epic scroller! Thank you all SO much.
Lins xxx (a.k.a. 'Ms. Lindsey Bauer' - History Teacher at Colyton Grammar School, Devon)
P.S. please excuse the cheesy pic! It was a fundraising vintage dress-up day at school recently for another charity...I love this aspect of Colyton!
RE: just a few of the MANY articles about Deborah:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/deborah-james-of-you-me-the-big-c-on-being-bowelbabe-and-losing-rachael-bland-blr5xbpbz