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Pole position for Mandie
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| Holding on - from left, Sarah Hearn, Mandie Nicholl, Niki Fairhead and Jenny Pond |
IT'S not easy running your own business - especially when it involves something as physically demanding as pole dancing - but Mandie Nicholl has risen to the challenge.
The 38-year-old Southender followed her dreams to set up Xtreme Dance 18 months ago and when she's not working from her home in Princes Street, the fully-qualified pole dancing teacher has her mind on other things.
More than ten years have passed since Mandie was diagnosed with cervical cancer but despite being given the all-clear several times, the problem hasn't gone away.
The mum of four suffers from recurrent bouts of cancer, which is treated at Southend Hospital. But this year, she's decided to make something positive come out of her experience and has started raising money for Cancer Research UK.
"There's so much out there that people can do to help," she told the Echo. "Cancer affects so many people and there are plenty, like me, who have had a terrible lot of it around them.
"Loads of my friends and family have had some form of cancer so when I found out I had it too, after a random smear test, I was gutted," she revealed.
"When most people hear the word cancer', they immediately think they're going to die but it doesn't have to be like that. If you can catch it early enough and at the right stage, you'll be fine."
The ex-stripper, who confesses to "putting on a brave face" most of the time, can't stress how important it is for other cancer sufferers to stay positive. She copes by concentrating on her dancing and thanks to "a lot of hard work and determination", Mandie has seen her business go from strength to strength in the last six months.
"It's been a struggle and at times, I've felt like giving everything up but things have worked out alright," she said. "I still sit down and have a cry every now and again but generally, I feel good in myself and I've got a lot of local people and businesses behind me, like Zinc and Mistress Boutique.
"My best friend, Cody Smith, is the manager of Zinc and he's been such a cool friend. He's been there for me through thick and thin and without him, I think I would have gone mad!
"When you've got cancer, or any other kind of illness, it's important to keep your mind occupied and Cody really helped me get on with my life. It would have been so easy to get into a downward spiral but I can't allow myself to get like that - I've got my family to look after."
When Mandie first found out she had cancer, it was "a real shock to the system". At the time, she was working as a dancer in Ibiza and thought nothing could hold her career back.
"I was only young," she said. "I'd flown out to Ibiza after my smear test and had only been there a day when my best friend got in touch to say my results were bad and I had to come home. I went straight into hospital for treatment."
Although her work can be exhausting, Mandie continues to dance and believes pole dancing is a great way for women of all shapes and sizes to stay active. She is keen to promote it as an alternative form of exercise and is currently on the lookout for a new training venue for her expanding business.
She also wants her story to act as a "shout out" to women all over the country and would urge every one to have regular smear tests.
"You never know when something might be wrong," she said. "So if anything unusual ever shows up, make sure you go back and get treated."
In March, Mandie will be putting on a fetish night at the Royal Hotel in Southend to raise money for Cancer Research UK. The event, which is being held in conjunction with the Mistress Boutique, will take place on Saturday, March 22.
For more information about Xtreme Dance or the forthcoming charity night, contact Mandie on 07788 771208.
12:44pm Monday 10th March 2008
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CommentPosted by: Biffo123, Wickford on 12:33pm Tue 11 Mar 08
Why only one (boring!) pic???!!! <S>
Why only one (boring!) pic???!!! <S>
Posted by: mandie, southend on sea on 12:15pm Tue 10 Jun 08
Sorry this was the only pic that the echo took x
Sorry this was the only pic that the echo took x
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