This is me
I woke up. The pain. The agonising, spasmodic, persistent pain that had stormed through my body in the past few days had vanished. There was a moment of fleeting happiness as I realised I was liberated from all the agony. It was then that I really woke up. I was trapped in a hospital bed, guarded by monitors and held almost motionless by the copious number of tubes keeping my condition stable. I felt defenceless against the effect of the anaesthesia and instead was unbelievably grateful to the morphine that was keeping my pain at bay. “It was the size of a hockey puck” explained my surgeon as he then revealed to me what had been burdening me with worry for months. That’s when it occurred to me- the storm had finally passed. I was just 18 years old when I was diagnosed with a benign ovarian tumour. At a time when teenage girls should be worrying about university, relationships, clothes and whether they need to buy the trendiest lipstick around, I was worried sick about my health, whether I would be able to complete my A-Levels that were just around the corner, go to university or even have children. Thats the day that changed my outlook on life. This is me, once a worrier but now a warrior.
Despite the fact that my life has been rife with adversities that no one my age should have ever experienced, I am so thankful for what I have and what I have achieved in my mere 22 years. Its taught me a lot about what is important in life and what I actually need from it. Overcoming every single hardship that has dared to cross my path has helped me to become the person I am.
I am and always have been a fitness fanatic. I’m that girl you see training hard in the gym at 7am or the one trying every sport until she has found her niche. Luckily, I did. At the age of 8 years old, I fell in love with cricket. A sport traditionally associated with men but that didn’t stop me from advancing to one of the highest levels in the sport. By 13, I was already playing county cricket- something I adored and still miss terribly to this day. Cricket has become a part of me and offered me joy, reassurance and boosted my confidence when all else has failed. It has been the reason to get up when I fall. Now I represent my university. It has not only given me the opportunity to continue playing cricket but also provided me with a family network- the University of Kent Cricket Club. Having been ill in the early stages of my life and recently too has taught me to take care of the temple that is my body, nourish it so that it continues to flourish and to train hard so I can prosper in cricket with many wickets and runs to my name.
Apart from my athletic background, I am a keen little linguist. I’m going to honest here, I have never been the brightest bean in my family but with languages, I feel like I’m worth something. My affinity for languages has helped me survive school and now has allowed me to study German at degree level. One foreign language was clearly not enough. Therefore in typical Wishie style, I started learning Danish- the language of the happiest people in the world. I am certainly happy with it. I adore languages as it helps me communicate with people and learn from other cultures. This, I believe should aid us in integrating with each other more effectively and accepting each other for who we are. The world does need more love and acceptance after all.
Regardless of all these characteristics, I am not your regular girl. I believe strongly in doing what is right and treating others for how we would all like to be treated. I know I’m only small (5.3ft and counting…) but I do have a big heart. Pure kindness is a rarity in the world we live in today. Our society is sadly saturated with hate, jealousy and prejudice. The seldom occasions of generosity and magnanimity are easily overlooked and as a result we do not get constant encouragement to do genuine acts of kindness. I believe that in order to make the world a better place, we should better ourselves and do what we can to harmonise life on earth. If you want the world to be good, be a good person. Its simple to do and something I aspire to do everyday.
Your life is your story. Be the protagonist, make a difference, drive the plot and strive for greatness.
