It’s been a long September for three members of the Dröm UK team who have been taking part in the Dryathlon on behalf of Cancer Research!
Our CEO, Kicki Carlsson, was diagnosed with breast cancer just before Christmas last year, a week after hearing that her mother had been diagnosed with the same disease. 2015 saw both ladies endure gruelling chemotherapy, before undergoing operations and finally starting radiotherapy. Thankfully, they have both been told that the treatment has been successful.
However, Kicki’s mum (who already had a rare form of Parkinson’s disease), recently underwent a brain scan which tragically showed metastatic cancer in the brain, which the family have been told is terminal. This is a huge blow to them after how she so bravely fought the breast cancer.
We HAVE to find a way of beating cancer and ending the pain for both sufferers and their families.
So Kicki, her husband Barry and their office manager Sarah all decided to stop drinking for the month of September and raise money for Cancer Research. This was a very difficult challenge, especially for Barry and Sarah as they are known for their love of a glass or two of wine and champagne! It wasn’t made any easier by the fact that it was Barry’s birthday during September and Sarah had tickets to an England Rugby World Cup game!
Barry’s belated birthday celebrations!
Sarah’s first Prosecco! Followed quite quickly by water …
But they stuck with it and between the three of them raised well over £7,000 donated by friends, family, clients and suppliers 🙂
It was a great opportunity for them to take the time to really concentrate on wellbeing and to see if they noticed a difference with not drinking for a month….
The first main difference they noticed was that they started to lose a little bit of weight! Alcohol is full of empty calories, by cutting it out you automatically cut your calorie intake. And because you have more energy once the alcohol is out of your system, you find that you can exercise more which helps reduce the beer and wine bellies!
Once you start feeling better, it is a great opportunity to start eating healthier. Gone are the days of the junk food ‘munchies’ as you try to cure a hangover. Incorporate fresh fruit and vegetables into your diet to maximise your health and vitality.
Reducing your alcohol intake can also result in sleeping better at night. There is no ‘dull head’ in the mornings, leaving you fresh and alert to face the day. Concentration and focus is improved, making the working day easier.
And as well as maximising your overall wellbeing, not drinking is good for your financial health too!
Although they are now ‘allowed’ to drink again, it was a huge learning curve for all three dryathletes. They found they didn’t ‘need’ to have that drink when they got in from a tough day at work. They found other activities to fill the gap that alcohol used to fill. And they all feel much better, both physically and mentally.
Knowing that they have raised so much for Cancer Research though was the biggest boost to them all 🙂
There is still time to donate. Visit www.JustGiving.com and search for Kicki Carlsson, Barry Smith or Sarah Gibson. Can we take a moment to say a huge thank you to everyone for their support and kind donations for such a brilliant cause.
