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Calverley mum turns cancer survivor to bodybuilder
A Calverley supermum who made the agonising decision to have her womb, ovaries and breasts removed in a bid to survive cancer has gone on stage to take part in a body building competition.
Tracey Barraclough went through three gruelling operations in two years to stave off the disease that claimed the lives of her mother, grandmother and great grandmother.
They all died in their fifties and genetic tests revealed that there was a 90 per cent chance that 49-year-old Tracey, would meet the same fate.
Now Tracey has taken her new-found strength to compete in her very first body building competition at Batley Frontier.
"The competition was just an amazing experience and a big personal achievement for me," she said.
"It was my first competition and I just worked so hard and gradually dieted but it all paid off."
Despite coming home empty handed she hopes to enter another one next year.
Tracey has been training for 14 years and took part in the London Marathon last year. She made contact with an old friend who had a gym and decided to take up body building.
"I thought that body building would be something different and I have found that having something like this to train for helps to keep me focused," Tracey said.
"The training and looking after myself helps me mentally and physically so that when things are quite difficult the exercise helps me."
Tracey said that her 14-year-old son Joshua has been her inspiration and helps to support her.
"My son supports me and it is wonderful. He is only 14 but he has been my rock.
"He is my complete and utter inspiration and it is all worthwhile in the end."
In between training Tracey also focuses her efforts on inspirational
speaking by sharing the lessons she has learnt in life to motivate others.
Her efforts have even led her to be named West Yorkshire's 'healthy lifestyle hero' in last year's Healthy Lifestyle Awards organised by Leeds-based Savant Healthcare.
Tracey is also hoping to launch a website in the next few weeks called 'How to be Fabulous' to share her story with others.
"I think that to be fabulous you have got to have a lot of self belief," she said.
"My story is about overcoming adversity so to be fabulous you also need to have determination and never give up."
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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