Dancer overcomes surgery to shine at university

A dancer who underwent major surgery that forced her to give up on her career said her performance background helped her succeed at university.

Charlotte Kirkham, 24, was training in musical theatre at Brighton Academy when she had surgery in 2019 after being diagnosed with Bertolotti Syndrome, a congenital condition of the spine that causes pain and reduced mobility in the lower back.

Miss Kirkham, from Cranleigh in Surrey, has now been named Student of the Year at Keele University, where she has graduated with a degree in criminology and psychology.

She said: "I do look back sometimes at my dancing and wonder ‘what if’, but at the same time I am so grateful for coming to Keele and what I do now, and I think maybe something in the universe decided this is what I am supposed to be doing."

Having been diagnosed in her first year in Brighton, Miss Kirkham said she's grateful for the support she had from those around her following her spine operation.

She told BBC South East: "I had to make quite a big decision at a young age."

Not knowing if her body would "up for" going back to dance training, she had to weigh up the risk of needing more surgery if she carried on.

Within a month she said she knew she had to put her health first and find something else to do and started to look at going to university.

She still uses many of the skills from her performance background, including the dedication she had to show.

Of the world of dance, she said: "Anyone who has trained in that industry understands the level of commitment you have to show."

During her time at university, she has clocked up more than 800 hours of volunteering across a range of activities and initiatives.

These include the founding of a charity-affiliated society, where members volunteer their time to dress as fictional princesses and princes for children with disabilities and illnesses and helping to raise £4,000 for Team England’s adaptive abilities cheer team.

She is staying on at university to do a Master's and is set to become captain of the cheerleading team, where she said she feels grateful to be surrounded by the enthusiastic young women.

Being involved in dance and cheerleading is in some ways nicer, she said, as "there's no pressure".

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