After enduring ill health and setbacks, 12WBT Member Leanne enjoys a glamorous treat, thanks to the teams at Napoleon Perdis and TONI&GUY.
Leanne from Bassendean in WA is this week’s winner of the 12WBT Round 3 makeover competition.
In celebration of Leanne’s inspiring 12WBT journey, she won a one-hour makeover session with a Napoleon Perdis Creative Team makeup artist and a hair makeover session with a TONI&GUY art director. The hair session included a Personalised Therapy Treatment, cut and blow-dry, and Leanne also took home a Napoleon makeup bag valued at $150 and a TONI&GUY Label M pack valued at $150.
When asked how a glamour makeover would complete her 12 Week Body Transformation, Leanne said, “This time last year I didn’t have any hair, thanks to chemo. I weighed an extra 35kg and no one wanted to look at me, which was fine as I just wanted to be invisible.
Leanne pre-makeover
“Now, my health is on the up, I’ve shed weight (and other personal baggage), participated in the Colour Run (while still on chemo), the Mother’s Day Classic fun run, HBF Run For a Reason and even tried my best to finish the Perth 100km Oxfam Trailwalker.
“Money is tight since I had to take time off work due to cancer,” Leanne explains. “I often book hair appointments, only to have to cancel them as I can’t afford to go.
“I’m looking forward to working more hours next year just so I can afford to buy new underwear and have my hair cut. Something as simple as a haircut, which I used to take for granted, is now an absolute luxury. As for makeup, what’s that?! I wish I could splurge so that my looks keep up with my positive mindset when I’m with my friends, family and professionally.”
Clearly Leanne is a very deserving winner! And doesn’t she look fabulous after her makeover?
Leanne looking stunning after her makeover
Post-makeover, Leanne says: “It was amazing, beyond words! I just want to send a HUGE thank you to Michelle and 12WBT. This program has been such a beautiful thing to take part in, and to win this makeover has been the icing on the cake!”
Leanne’s 12WBT Journey
Number of Rounds: Three
Kilos Lost: 35kg
About Leanne: A fighter and a survivor, a few years ago Leanne had it all. About to marry the love of her life and a mum-to-be, within weeks her future was shattered when she was diagnosed with bowel cancer. Her relationship ended and she was left to face chemo alone as well as life as a single mum to her son.
Leanne’s 12WBT journey is a testament that there’s no such thing as impossible.
Inspiration to join 12WBT: ”Because of the chemo, I’d put on a stack of weight and lost my mojo. I had a baby that depended on me, but the ultimate inspiration was the raw realisation that if I was going to do this and do it properly I had to do it for myself,” Leanne recalls.
“I really struggled with guilt and the pressure to be a good mum versus spending time and money on myself, but I realised it was time for me to stop existing and start living!
“To justify paying for my12WBT registration, I bought it as a combined birthday and Christmas present for myself. It was the best present ever! I knew I had to do this; being a better me would benefit the people I love.
Leanne definitely got rewarded for her 12WBT efforts with this day of pampering
Turning Point: ”Recently I got a little cocky with how well the healthy new me was doing. I was living the dream and people were commenting on how happy I seemed, but I wasn’t acknowledging to myself how well I was doing.”
Leanne had a setback with a foot injury that forced her to take some time out, even though she was only halfway through her journey and had another 30kg to lose. “I’d lost touch with setting new goals, and the injury and enforced time out made me think about the big picture again,” says Leanne.
Biggest Motivator: “I’d always been a reluctant exerciser, but when I accepted it was okay to find exercise I enjoyed, training went from being strange to a fun habit in my daily life,” she says.
Leanne’s Top 12WBT Tip: “Remember to befriend your goal, truly acknowledge it when you achieve it, take time to celebrate and enjoy it before you move on to the next one.”