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Bold Beauties
The goal of the Bold Beauties Movement is to empower women in the Calgary and surrounding areas by showcasing local inspirational women. These women can be: Single Mothers, Mothers and/or Wives, Women in Business, Women who are giving back, Grandmoms who are raising their grandchildren, or any other Inspirational Female! If you feel someone you know is inspiring to others, contact me! I look forward to displaying more #beautifullyboldyyc women!
Remember Ladies, Be You.
Nominate or join the movement
Kristel
Kristel is a wife, a mother to 2 young men, and lives a life that was full of fun and adventure. Breast cancer, these three syllables, are ones that are too often spoken and rattle one’s world. Two words that strike fear in everyone. Men and women alike. It sucks.
Her story:
Double mastectomy, chemo, radiation, and maintenance. The rules of the game.
Every day, Kristel feels like a reckoning ritual takes place. Seeing herself in the mirror after a shower. Her body surgically altered to save her life. However, she refuses to be a victim of her self-named nemesis, Cruella.
Opting out of implants, she remains true to herself. No fake anything about her. What you see is what you get. She tells it like it is. Nothing is wrong with enhancements, no judgement either way, but Kristel knew from the get-go that they were not for her. Kristel is a down-to-earth, non-makeup wearing, nature loving woman from Belgium who didn’t feel it would aid her healing process.
Accessing WellSpring @wellspringyyc (an awesome resource facility for those touched by cancer), walking barefoot in the grass, yoga, and even more nature. These are her methods for processing her journey and enabling her to heal from all she has undergone.
As soon as her port is removed, another fantastic part of her journey begins! It’s a sign that the nightmare is now almost behind her. What an awesome day that will be, and it is arriving very very soon!
Thank you Kristel for being a strong, beautiful and loving woman who is kicking Cruella’s a**!
Paulette
She has always been a force with which to be reckoned. .
* Olympic contender * Wife * Mother to 5
* 4 on earth
* One with wings
* Actor
* Monk
* Survivor
* Advocate
We met and clicked. Both born in July, and true to zodiac form, are passionate about our causes. Collaboration seemed natural.
Her story is unbelievable:
Imagine one day having a blood clot implode in your brain stem rendering you a quadriplegic.
The fight for which she had ironically trained so intensely with martial arts, was now on to simply be able to breathe on her own.
In slowly, out slowly. Pant, pant, pant. Having trained to be able to control her breathing allowed for her disassociated body to avoid a tracheotomy.
Although Paulette is now at home, continuing on with life, as we all do, she is constantly working on strengthening her new-to-her body and advocating for the rights of people with disabilities.
Though she still has no sensation below her neck, she can now walk. Slowly, ungracefully and with a brace BUT she walks.
We partnered to photograph and allow Paulette to submit new photos for her return to her acting career. Modified poses, patience, and a lot of love went in to creating and showcasing this beautiful, iron-willed woman with stunning eyes who is ready to get back to getting on.
So glad to have crossed paths.
Her survivorship and perseverance exemplifies #beautifullybodyyc ’s essence.