London boxer, Cherrelle Brown is used to pushing herself to the limits when it comes to training, but when her best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer, she embarked on a new challenge by shaving off her hair to raise awareness and funds
Name?
Cherrelle Brown
Occupation?
Female competitive boxer.
What club do you fight for?
I fight for Islington Boxing Club.
What was the last competition you participated in?
My last competitive was the tri nations. I won a Silver medal. Lost in the finals against a tough opponent.
What was your motivation behind competing in this event?
My motivation was my best friend. She just found she was stage 3 breast cancer, so I wanted to raise awareness and raise funds. Leading up to the event I hosted a social media fundraiser where I shaved my head in support of my friend after reaching my £500 target. It wasn’t a lot but every little helps.
Cherrelle raising awareness for breast cancer
What advice would you give to someone who has recently found out they have cancer?
That’s a hard one. Sometimes its very hard to find words to say to someone going through something so life changing and devastating. However, in relation to my situation with my best friend. I expressed my love and reinforced that she is not alone. And we will fight together.
How else have you supported your friend?
I’m just available for her…. not just in the good bit but in the bad. If she needs a punch bag, what better then to have a boxing friend to hit ha ha…but on a serious note. Knowing I’m consistent in supporting her and also trying to make sure she feels some sort of normality in our encounters.. and I’m also preparing to be with her every step along the way to beat it.
How hard was it to shave your hair off in support of your friend?
While I was happy to do something that showed solidarity I must say I loved my hair. It had a short tapered cut, and one time, I actually woke up in a panic because I didn’t cover my head with a du-rag but then realised I didn’t need it anymore. However the cause was more important.
Any tips for women who have recently shaved their head, whether because of cancer or not?
Coconut Oil is the holy grail really. I bought a jar from Pak Cosmetics for about £4 which I use to massage my head everyday. I already have hair growth which I’m happy about.
Pak’s Coconut Oil Cream available from Pak’s Cosmetics
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