Girl Crush: Sarah Smith

I first heard about Sarah Smith when I saw a post about her on Women’s Health Instagram page - after clicking through the link, and reading more about her, it’s no wonder we want to put her as one of our Girl Crush posts. She really is inspirational.

At only 30, she been a sufferer of ulcerative colitis since she was 16, she has had major ileostomy surgery and now has a stoma bag, she is also a GP clinical admin officer, a cheerleading coach and a fitness influencer.

For those of you that don’t know much about ulcerative colitis, to put it bluntly (and literally) it is SHIT. The possible cause of it is your immune system essentially attacking your digestive system, this means needing to go to the loo A LOT. As a form of inflammatory bowel disease (that means the development of ulcers in the lining of your colon), it means constant stomach cramps and pain, and constant diarrhoea. And there is no cure - just medication to keep it at bay as much as possible.

Not only are we showcasing Sarah as our Girl Crush because of the incredible journey to health that she has been through, but it is also fundamentally because she is breaking down taboos around stomas and ulcerative colitis through her social media channels. As well as this, she really highlights the positives, often showing herself doing HIIT workouts, generally being active and living her life to the fullest. It is refreshing to see someone so proud of their body, so strong mentally and physically and so determined to share her story with the rest of the world.

Here’s a little insight into Sarah’s story when I was able to speak to her, her feelings about stomas being somewhat taboo and how to break that taboo and what body positivity means to her.

Your story has been a long journey, how does it feel now coming out the other side?

It has been a very long journey, I can’t remember a life without ulcerative colitis if I am honest. Coming out of it now, I actually feel relieved and like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. The surgery I went through is by no means a cure & I know I will need further surgery in the future, but how I think and feel now has massively changed due to my surgery. I feel brilliant and my quality of life has improved drastically. 

Being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis so young (at 16) must have been so hard, how did it affect your teens?

It was so difficult. I feel like it made me become very closed off. For the years between 16-18, I didn’t really do a lot other than come to terms with my diagnosis. When I was 18 I went to a sports college and this is where I met my now wife. Meeting my wife really helped me, it took time but I told her about my disease and she was so supportive and this really helped me to become myself. 

Do you think more light needs to be shed on women (and men) who suffer with conditions such as these?

100%. This is exactly what I am doing at the minute. I am really pushing the education side of our disability. There are so many people who have the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, or Crohns Disease who have an ileostomy or colostomy, but there are also people out there that have an ileostomy/colostomy for other reasons too, and I think it is so important that we acknowledge and educate ourselves on all of these reasons. I recently did a series on my Instagram on the reasons people may have a stoma, and there are so many! It was enlightening for me to learn lots of new information. 

I think the more education we put out there, the more accepting it will be for people who have such a diagnosis. I found it very hard to tell people what my diagnosis was.

1. Because I found it embarrassing

2. Because I didn’t fully understand my diagnosis

I don’t want anyone to feel like this and by improving our education this could help.

What does body positivity mean to you?

I think body positvity is enabling yourself to come to terms with everything you have been through, seeing that you have come out the other side and you are still fighting. Being able to look at yourself and not notice all the negatives but notice all of the positives. And turn those once negatives into positives. Your body is unique, it is the only body out there of its kind and it should be embraced and celebrated. 

How has having a stoma changed your life? 

Having a stoma has changed my life so much that I cant even describe it all. The quality of life I now have is ridiculous. I never knew that this life existed. I had got used to the pain, having to rush to the toilet and not being able to do everything I wanted. But now I can literally do everything I want. I am not restricted, I am not in pain and I am now in control. I love my stoma for everything it has given me, it is beautiful because it saved my life.