A Walsall Research Nurse has described her “mind-blowing” experience at making it to the recent final of Miss Great Britain – and hopes her story will inspire others to follow their dreams.
While the mother-of-two wasn’t crowned winner at the prestigious pageant, she says the experience has helped her grow in confidence and realise that she can use her voice to influence change.
Memory, who joined Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust in August this year, is an Oncology Research Nurse and works to support Consultants, Nurses and other medical staff to deliver and recruit patients to take part in cancer trials. She is currently focusing on three trials which include the Add-Aspirin clinical trial to help find out whether regular aspirin use after treatment for an early-stage cancer can prevent the cancer from coming back and preventing deaths.
She is part of the FORCE Team at the Trust – FORCE is the Faculty of Research and Clinical Education – which houses the Research and Development Team, in conjunction with the Clinical Education Team, which supports Pre-registration students and post-registration staff with their professional education and career development.
She said: “The whole Miss Great Britain experience was a dream and totally mind-blowing. It has been the most rewarding project I have experienced.
“I am incredibly proud of myself and grateful to everyone that rallied behind me on this journey, including my proud and supportive colleagues. I learnt that I am the biggest hurdle – once you realise that there is nothing you cannot do if you put your mind to it. It takes passion, dedication, discipline and focus to get it done. I hope my story encourages others to pursue their dreams and aspirations and never give up.”
Memory said she also hoped people would think differently about pageants and said the additional confidence she had gained would be beneficial to her research role.
She added: “They are about more than just outside beauty. They are a good platform to make an impact and use your voice to influence change. The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment, it is not in luck or chance, or the help of others – it is in yourself alone.”