Sky News presenter and Olympic gymnast Jacquie Beltrao reveals secrets of her battle with breast cancer
In an exclusive and emotional interview the former Olympic gymnast reveals how conquering the disease has made her more upbeat
MINUTES after Jacquie Beltrao revealed on Twitter that she had got the all-clear from breast cancer she was inundated with messages of support.
But in among the positive tweets from her 52,000 followers was one that read, bluntly: “My aunty was given the all-clear — two years later she died.”
It stood out to the Sky News sports presenter because her reaction to it was a measure of just how far she had come since her diagnosis in 2013. Back then Jacquie would have been hurt and offended by the remark, but in an exclusive interview she says conquering the disease has made her more upbeat.
And she is too busy relishing life after getting the good news on January 9 for such things get her down.
Jacquie, 51, says: “I’ve developed a f***-it attitude. I used to worry, be self-conscious, I’m different now.
“I don’t let things like that get me down. I didn’t even respond.
“I am so lucky. I have beaten this, I’m in remission. It has made me realise that life is for enjoying to the full. I feel I’ve been given a second chance. I used to get stressed about work. Now I don’t bother. Why waste time like that?
“It’s quite liberating.”
It was in December 2013, that Jacquie noticed a pea-sized lump on her right breast.
The next day she saw her doctor and later her consultant, Mr Sharma, who took a sample for testing. She also had a mammogram and ultrasound.
The radiographer told her at once it was not just a cyst. Six days later the official results confirmed it was early-stage, treatable cancer.
She and her Brazilian husband Eduardo, 51, a social media consultant, decided not to tell their children Amelia, 19, Tiago, 16, and 15-year-old Jorge and ruin Christmas Day.
Jacquie, a former gymnast who represented Great Britain at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, says: “I’m a very open person, I wear my heart on my sleeve.
“I am a useless liar but I had to keep it to myself, watch the kids open their stockings, have dinner, act normal.
“I was terrified. At first it was, ‘I am going to die’.
“Then it was anger that it was happening to somebody who had always looked after their health.
“Then I worried about the children. I was scared, I didn’t want to leave them. I lost my mother at 42 to a heart condition.
“I didn’t want them to be without me, to go through the same as me, not to have their mum there when they marry — for the big moments in their life. I didn’t want them to have to cope with my cancer.
“And then I thought, ‘Oh my God, I am going to go bald’.”
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On New Year’s Eve Jacquie, originally from Dublin, tweeted: “Had a bit of a wobbly time of it — diagnosed with breast cancer on Xmas Eve — all positive thoughts welcome!!”
She says: “It was my way of coping. The more I talked about it, the better I felt. I got positive tweets back. One read, ‘My gran is 89 and she had breast cancer at 42’.”
Two weeks after her diagnosis Jacquie was in surgery for a mastectomy and reconstruction. She then had five gruelling cycles of chemotherapy in four months.
She says: “Chemo was hideous. I felt sorry for myself.
“I was so knackered. Some days I just watched Diagnosis Murder on TV and did nothing.
“Then you realise you just have to get on with it.”
The consultant noted her positivity and asked if she would help other patients.
Jacquie says: “The first lady he sent round has become one of my best friends. It was my first day of chemo and I felt horrendously sick but I didn’t want to let her down.
“She came for a cup of tea and we got chatting. She was a mum of two, ran a company, was successful. And she had breast cancer.
“We helped each other through so much, we could talk when we felt down, about our appointments — about our hair.
“I told her about a special system by Lucinda Ellery that meant I never had to see myself bald. I had a whisper-fine lace mesh secured over my existing hair and donor hair is weaved into the net.
“As my own hair fell out, more hair was added. It was magical.”
Jacquie is back at work yet still welcomes patients at her Surrey home. She says: “If someone is worried about what it is going to be like, how their breasts will look, how they will cope, I show them how good it can be afterwards. I am honestly happy with my boobs.”
Jacquie has also become an ambassador for the breast cancer charity Future Dreams, modelled a range of designer swimwear by Melissa Odabash for women who have had a mastectomy and done some public speaking.
Meanwhile Jacquie was inspired to change her diet by five-time breast cancer survivor Jane Plant, author of Beat Cancer.
She says: “I read Jane’s book, cut out all dairy — and my tumour shrunk, just like hers.
“Even during chemo I walked every day. Now I go to the gym five times a week. And I do yoga and run 3k about three times a week. I once saw Mo Farah in my local park and ran past him!”
Colleagues and friends, including Charlotte Hawkins, Sarah-Jane Mee, Lucy Verasamy and Eamonn Holmes have also helped her recovery.
On the day she hoped to get the all-clear she messaged Eamonn: “Say a little prayer for me”. He replied: “I did that every day.”
She adds: “I was so worried. Eduardo held my hand as the radiologist looked at my scans and said, ‘These look boring’.
“I thought ‘another year done and I am fine’. That’s all you can hope for. If the cancer does come back I will fight it.
“I’ve done it once and, if I need to, I know I can do it again.”
Additional reporting: BEN GRIFFITHS
Top five tips for fellow sufferers
TALK ABOUT YOUR ILLNESS – IT HELPS OTHERS AND YOU TOO
“People didn’t talk about breast cancer years ago, it was a closed subject. Talking helps others and yourself. It is an illness like any other and the more we discuss it, the less scary it becomes.”
EXERCISE
“Even on my darkest days I tried to get out and have a walk. It made me feel alive, positive. It helped me both mentally and physically.”
WATCH YOUR DIET
“Cutting out dairy had a huge effect. I drank lots of water too.”
DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP
“You can’t be strong all the time. Ask for help. I called on my two sisters and my best friend Joanna when I needed them and I would have struggled to get through it without their support.”
MAKE A COMMITMENT TO YOURSELF
“Keep checking! The sooner you find a problem, the better your chances.”