Princes William and Harry, Kate Middleton and Adele among top 10 health heroes for 2017
The list acknowledges those who have promoted good mental and physical wellbeing over the past year
Princes William and Harry, Kate Middleton, pop singer Adele and body coach Joe Wicks have all been honoured in the top 10 Health Heroes for 2017.
The annual list, compiled by myhealthlondon, acknowledges people who have promoted good mental and physical wellbeing over the past 12 months, either through campaigning, sporting achievements or simply speaking out.
The royal trio of Kate, William and Harry lead the Heads Together campaign, which seeks to break down the stigma surrounding mental health and ensuring friends and family are comfortable supporting loved ones who might be in need of help.
Continuing the royal theme are midwives Arona Ahmed and Jacqui Dunkley-Bent, who helped deliver the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s daughter Princess Charlotte at St Mary’s Hospital in May 2015.
The pair recently featured in a critically-acclaimed BBC documentary on the huge number of African-Caribbean nurses who have worked in the NHS for the last 70 years.
Chart-topping star Adele was praised after she spoke candidly about her own experiences of postnatal depression following the birth of her son four years ago.
Meanwhile fitness coach Joe Wicks was recognised for his innovative online training and nutrition plans, aimed at getting both men and women leaner and healthier through simple lifestyle changes.
Also included in this year’s list are two of Britain’s heroes from the 2016 Paralympic Games, held over the summer in Rio.
They are Dame Sarah Storey, now Great Britain’s most decorated female Paralympian and Kadeena Cox, who became the first Briton since 1988 to win medals in two different disciplines at Rio 2016.
myhealthlondon also especially recognises Dr Kate Granger, a consultant geriatrician, who gave a warts-and-all account of her own experiences as a cancer patient.
Her social media campaign not only raised awareness among fellow medical professionals about what it’s like to be on the other side of cancer treatment, it also raised more than £250,000 for the Yorkshire Cancer Centre. Dr Granger, from West Yorkshire, died in July aged 34.
Rounding off this year’s list of Health Heroes is pop singer, Strictly Come Dancing star and breast cancer survivor Anastasia.
The American singer underwent a double mastectomy in 2013, and was forced to pull out of a Strictly dance-off when scar tissue from her surgery tore after one of her routines, she opened up about her experiences with cancer and bared her mastectomy scars for a photo-shoot, saying she felt “empowered” and encouraged young women to get checked.
“I am especially pleased to see the great work of these heroes – many have spoken about mental health, and it’s great they show that talking about feelings and worries can positively affect their physical health.”