At our Walk Against Waste last month some of our team met Tina. She shared her story and why she and a friend joined our walk! Here is her story in her words, it really reminded us how the Food Hub touches our community in many ways, some of them unexpected.
“My name is Tina and in June 2023 I had a heart attack. Like a lot of women, I didn’t realise what was happening as heart attacks are predominantly seen as something that happens to men.
It happened when I was staying with a friend and it was on his insistence that I went and got checked out.
My chest felt like it was being crushed in a vice but I dismissed the pain as I thought it was heartburn and the heat of the day.
Tests several days later revealed the full extent of what had happened.
I was overweight and unfit thanks to not getting my act together post covid. I had previously been into walking and weight training. A recent trip to Scotland had left me distressed at my ability to walk even a short distance so I missed out on so much.
I had, however, already given up sugar a couple of months previously.
I left the hospital barely able to move or walk a couple of steps and had to have carer’s in to support me.
Thanks to a lack of follow up services in the area I was then left to my own devices in terms of diet and fitness.
I could have sat back and waited for the next heart attack but this had shown me that I quite liked living and wanted to go on those walks and see Scotland and other places and not just from the seat of a camper van.
So I started to move. At first it was just chair exercises to whatever song came on the radio and inspired me to move before I got the confidence to leave the house and just walk.
I lost weight and my ability to get out there increased.
When I saw the Food Hub’s Walk Against Waste on Facebook I thought it looked like a good way to test myself and I shared the post to see if any local friends wanted to join me.
One of them did agree so I couldn’t back out.
I was nervous and worried in case I couldn’t do it. BUT I, we, did. It was a mile walk to the start and then a wonderful walk around the streets of Shrewsbury. Having lived here for 2 years it was brilliant to explore whilst supporting a good cause.
I filmed at each of the bridges and put up a short film on YouTube just to prove that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. I did cry at the end because I could see how far I had come and I had done it!!
I am now planning more and more walks and little films.
My YouTube channel tells my journey through the heart attack and how I got from the worst of days to having the best of feelings. I started it to help other people like me who may have struggled through any form of diagnosis and want to understand what has happened and implement a change.
https://www.youtube.com/@PhatChic
For me the heart attack was not a death sentence but was an opportunity to take stock of life and embrace it. If I as a middle-aged lady can turn things around then anything is possible.”