Young Lanarkshire woman fighting illness receives ‘best gift ever’ with new dream career

A young Lanarkshire woman was given the best present she could have wished for this Christmas with a new career, thanks to a gym boss who was inspired by her story.

Stephanie Boyle has been facing a battle with ulcerative colitis^[1] - a condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed - and recently shared how she was faced with a stark choice of agreeing to a stoma operation or the possibility of death within a year.

The 24-year-old, who lives in Bellshill^[2], has a long-term condition that can lead to serious flare ups which require hospitalisation and complications include an increased risk of developing bowel cancer. The steroid medicines used to treat ulcerative colitis can also cause weakening of the bones.

Community learning development worker Stefanie – an ambassador for the Crohn’s and colitis charity The Catherine McEwan Foundation – was diagnosed when she was 17.

But Stefanie, who is in her third year at university studying community education, has not let her stoma or her condition stand in the way of her fitness, working out at the gym five times a week, the Daily Record^[5] reports.

She now dreams of becoming a personal trainer, specialising in helping people with underlying health conditions.

Founder of Virtual Health and Fitness, Darren Doak, read her story and was so impressed by her can-do attitude that he has offered her free training to help her realise her dream.

Stefanie said: “Darren has offered to put me through my level two and three training for personal training which will give me a personal trainer diploma.

“He is also putting me through a first aid course and a nutrition course as well so I will be a fully certificated personal trainer.”

She hopes to complete the paperwork in January with a plan to start her courses in April when she completes her third year at university. If everything goes according to plan she may be qualified by July and Darren is confident of fixing her up with work at one of the leading gym groups in the country.

Stefanie said: “It is such a great opportunity. It is the best Christmas present I could ever have got this year and such a genuine act of kindness.

“I am so thankful the Daily Record told my story. When I spoke to Darren he told me he always reads the Daily Record in the morning to see what’s going on in Scotland and said to his wife that he was in a position to do a good deed and get me into the fitness industry.

“I am just so over the moon, so happy.”

Join Glasgow Live's Whatsapp Community here^[6] and get the latest news sent straight to your messages

Darren, 48, said he was “blown away” by everything Stefanie had done.

And he added: “She so deserves this. Your article talked about the barriers she had faced and we try to break down barriers to allow people into fitness education.

“Stefanie has such a positive attitude, she’s exactly the kind of person we want in the industry as a personal trainer.”

Darren has been so inspired by her that his company plans to turn the offer he has made her into an annual scholarship.

References

1. ^{^} ulcerative colitis (www.glasgowlive.co.uk)
2. ^{^} Bellshill (www.glasgowlive.co.uk)
3. ^{^} Glasgow family devastated by flood get 'Christmas miracle' thanks to local hero plumber (www.glasgowlive.co.uk)
4. ^{^} First picture of Rutherglen woman found dead days before Christmas as murder investigation launched (www.glasgowlive.co.uk)
5. ^{^} Daily Record (www.dailyrecord.co.uk)
6. ^{^} Glasgow Live's Whatsapp Community here (chat.whatsapp.com)