by ASJAD NAZIR
HOW ANOUSHÉ HUSAIN BRAVELY OVERCAME OBSTACLES AND ROSE UP
A NEVER-say-die attitude has enabled Anoushé Husain to overcome the incredible challenges life has thrown her way and become a powerful role model.
Born missing her right arm below the elbow and living with multiple health conditions, including being a cancer survivor, hasn’t stopped the glorious illustration of girl power from becoming a leading para-climber, motivational speaker and an ambassador for charities supporting amputees and those with less visible disabilities.
Based in London, the multiple award-winning 30-year-old is using her experiences of overcoming discrimination and obstacles to empower others.
That remarkable journey started in Luxembourg, where she was born to Pakistani parents living in the UK, who had moved to the country for work.
“Luxembourg is lovely and has a rich history, but it is also a small country so I didn’t know anyone else missing a limb like me. That was okay though as my parents had the support of a UK charity called REACH (who I help today). They are dedicated to supporting children with upper limb differences by teaching them: ‘It’s not disability that counts, it’s ability’,” explained Anoushé.
There was no Internet back then, so support only arrived via magazines and letters. Although she was a weaker child who needed some corrective surgeries, supportive parents ensured Anoushé was schooled normally and encouraged to nurture her talents. Despite being a shy kid, she took up activities like dancing and swimming, which she was successfully competing in by the age of six.
The little girl was also encouraged to take up karate when her parents were assured by the club she would be treated the same as others. Two years later as a 10-year-old, she was due to compete in her first tournament but was banned by referees because of her disability.
“I was heartbroken. I felt I had found my niche in karate. Not being allowed to compete also meant I wasn’t allowed to progress at the same pace as my friends. Whilst they all advanced to the next belt, I was alone and isolated. I didn’t realise it then, but this was discrimination. There was a real attempt to force me to leave the sport,” she recalled.
Anoushé stayed in karate because she loved the sport and saw it as an escape. The youngster carried on despite feeling hurt, discriminated against and having a head coach who was disinterested in her progress. Just when she was questioning her sanity about staying on, another coach from an advanced class became a ray of hope.
“One day, I was standing in position, waiting to be ignored as normal by my coach, eyes cast down, when I heard the other coach trying to grab my attention and telling me to not look down, to always look up and stand proud. I did and he diverted me to his class.”
The new coach worked with her and reversed the decision of the referees who had banned Anoushé. Within a year she was back in regional karate competitions, and lost her first match to the champion of Switzerland. She didn’t mind defeat in the slightest because she was back in the running. Shortly afterwards she picked up her first podium place and was invited to join the national para-team, but within two days her karate life ended.
“At the age of 16, I had found that my right shoulder could spontaneously move in directions it shouldn’t. We had consulted a surgeon and I was told I had to stop all impact sports.”
The karate dream was over, but the fighting spirit remained. Anoushé was a good student and gained an interest in charity work growing up. She learned languages and later lived in Brussels and Beijing.
“The change of activity levels caused me to be less strong and suddenly I was being lined up for multiple surgeries for joints that weren’t behaving. My pain levels went up and I started experiencing a lot of fear.”
The condition caused Anoushé to hate her body. She was also uncomfortable with her femininity and put on weight. Despite this, in 2009, she finished her Gold expedition for the Duke of Edinburgh award, hiking in the Pyrenees.
“That was awesome. When we got down to base camp, I suddenly felt a pain in my back. That pain would get worse for the next 18 months, until I was being operated for two herniated discs. Walking over that time was a literal nightmare, and in hindsight I had probably started becoming depressed. I was also despairing at my body that was failing me. I hated and blamed it.”
Back surgery happened in 2010 and Anoushé also started her masters in European governance (in Luxembourg). She slowly started to recover, but then in 2011 doctors found an unrelated tumour, which was growing aggressively.
“I had the tumour taken out. It was benign, but the cells around it weren’t. I was diagnosed with cancer and started treatment immediately. I was already physically broken from previous surgeries, emotionally distraught from this unknown condition wreaking havoc, and now cancer?
“I went into survival mode and just got myself through treatment. I also refused to let any time be lost in my degree and finished it as well as starting my first job with the Luxembourg parliament six weeks after finishing hospital treatment.”
Following the cancer treatment she was in a supervised gym programme to get rehabilitated. “I had pretty major issues with my left arm (mobility and fatigue) and since it’s my only arm, my friend told me I needed to do more than just go to the gym. She introduced me to climbing. I was astounded she would even suggest such a thing. One handed climbing on an arm that I’m struggling to raise above my head? Insane.”
Not one to shy away from a challenge, Anoushé tried climbing but found it really painful. She powered through it and being on the climbing wall enabled her to forget about any health issues. Anoushé then worked for the European parliament and became a civil servant in the UK in October 2013.
“My move to the UK was overwhelming, but also the best decision I could make. I needed to get out of Luxembourg, the place I grew up in, but where all my terrible medical history had happened. I needed to make sense of it all and wanted to see if I could really handle being fully independent.”
Settling in the UK was difficult. She had extended family but no friends or support network. That changed as she got involved with charities and started really investigating all her health issues.
“Between those things and work, I was pretty tired. Fatigue was becoming a thing but I was encouraged to stay active, so I did a 25km walk for Shine Cancer support in 2015. That was my first charity walk since falling sick. It was a huge milestone to know I could start doing this type of stuff again. Walking didn’t suit me though as my joints took to it badly.”
Anoushé teamed up with a flatmate to start climbing again and soon heard about a UK para-climbing competition for differently-abled climbers.
“I’m not sure why that attracted me, but the thought of being able to compete again was amazing. I had no idea if I could. I had only done climbing once before, so was brand new to it. I also had a load of health issues, was working full time and hadn’t trained in over 10 years in anything serious.”
By February 2016, she was training with a climbing coach. She excelled and started to adapt to new demands. Just as things were going well, she was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), which is a condition where the main protein, collagen that forms the majority of body’s building blocks, was defective.
“In my case, it’s loose and stretchy and that’s why my ligaments had allowed my joints to go crazy. This was the reason for all those surgeries.”
The diagnosis was devastating, but also a relief as it meant she finally had a knowledge base and tools to work with. “Despite some post-cancer issues that threw my health out of whack in 2016 during competitions, I still placed second within my disability category. So second in the UK in my category.
“Team GB was definitely not an option at this stage, but I was encouraged to pursue it further because I had done it without taking it seriously. I thought: ‘What happens if I take it seriously?’”
Anoushé also started talking about her journey for the first time and felt less isolated. “I wanted to discuss things that we as a society are quite bad at addressing; be that disability issues, a cancer experience, what it’s like living as a Muslim, or feeling vulnerable and scared. I candidly shared what my life is like on public platforms so that others who feel they can’t, can feel they can.”
She joined the This Girl Can campaign and the English Federation for Disability sport. The inspirational woman also became an ambassador for LimbPower, the leading charity for getting amputees active in sport in the UK, and for Ehlers Danlos UK. Sharing the remarkable achievements and helping charities led her towards winning awards.
Today she gives public talks at schools and events, teaches masterclasses, and also won the Hellen Rollason Award for Inspiration as part of the Sunday Times Sports Woman Of The Year awards in 2017.
“I work with various organisations, speaking and really trying to address issues that people don’t want to address. I want to shine a light on topics that would otherwise remain dark, but that we need to talk about if we are going to create change for the better. I moved into a role in civil service that would better reflect my passion for diversity and inclusion, and am training hard and still competing.”
She is still battling through injuries, health issues and their emotional impact, but refuses to give up.
- Visit www.anoushehusain.com, Facebook: AnousheHusain1 and Instagram/Twitter: @AnousheHusain for more
Sid Sagar
