{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6502ec015032c7001167fc64/693fe23280257c9e35d5ce44?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Crohn’s Disease Didn’t Stop Her Chasing Everest: Becky West's Story","description":"<p>Becky was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at 15 and thought her life was basically over. Spoiler: it wasn’t. In this episode we talk about what Crohn’s <em>actually</em> looks like day-to-day (fatigue, pain, planning your life around toilets…), the mindset shift that helped her stop shrinking her dreams, and why success sometimes looks like getting out of bed and having a shower — not “hustling” yourself into the ground.</p><p><br></p><p>We also get into Becky’s Everest Base Camp trek attempt, the reality of doing big adventures with an unpredictable body, and the one comment from a stranger that perfectly sums up why invisible illness is such a minefield.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><h3>Key takeaways</h3><p><br></p><ul><li>Crohn’s isn’t “a dodgy tummy” — it’s an autoimmune disease with physical <em>and</em> mental load.</li><li>You can still build a full life, but you may need to do it differently (and that’s not failure).</li><li>The fatigue is real even in remission — “slept 9 hours, feel like 3” levels of real.</li><li>Invisible illness comes with invisible planning: toilets, timing, travel anxiety, the whole mental spreadsheet.</li><li>You’re allowed to redefine success — especially when your body is fighting you.</li><li>Turning back isn’t quitting. Sometimes it’s the bravest, smartest decision you can make.</li><li>People will judge what they don’t understand (“you can’t be that sick…”) — don’t let that rewrite your reality.</li><li>Kindness matters more than most people realise. “Be kind” isn’t cringe — it’s necessary.</li></ul><h3><br></h3><h3>Timestamps</h3><ul><li><strong>00:00</strong> Intro + “How have you dared and won?”</li><li><strong>00:14</strong> Diagnosed at 15: believing life was “over”</li><li><strong>02:22</strong> The pressure of school + the long road to diagnosis/remission</li><li><strong>04:24</strong> Quitting A-levels, finding snowboarding, becoming an instructor (the pivot)</li><li><strong>05:43</strong> The biggest misconception: “it’s just a tummy issue”</li><li><strong>06:32</strong> The day-to-day reality: exhaustion, pain, urgency, immunosuppressants</li><li><strong>08:39</strong> Everest Base Camp planning + how Crohn’s derailed it (and why she still went)</li><li><strong>28:00</strong> Turning back at altitude + hospital in Kathmandu (ego vs survival)</li><li><strong>33:44</strong> Fundraising wins + choosing your life anyway</li><li><strong>48:17</strong> Misconception: “you can control it with diet” + the wider symptoms (arthritis, mouth ulcers)</li><li><strong>49:58</strong> “You can’t be that sick…” — the invisible illness moment that stuck</li></ul><p><br></p><p><br></p><h3>Mentioned</h3><ul><li><strong>Crohn’s &amp; Colitis UK</strong> (resources, support, info for patients + employers)</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Join Dare Club:</strong><a href=\" https://stan.store/shewhodareswins\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong> </strong>https://stan.store/shewhodareswins</a></p><p>www.shewhodareswins.com - Code POD10</p>","author_name":"Michelle Hands"}