So next in this tiny mini series about the ladies I’m doing Race for Life is Gemma. Gem was the person back in year 5 who came up with an idea about writing a newspaper (I’m not telling you what about, it is far too dorky) which I think kinda set me off on this whole blogging lark in a way. So if you want someone to blame for all this babble, blame her. I often do.
Hello there, my name is Gemma and I’m an In-between Foot. I was born in the depths of winter either side of Hayley & Rach (the oldies ha!) and Helen (the young one as she likes to be known.) I live in Chester and but work over the border in Wales/Cymru, in the world of insurance. A bit of indemnity anyone?
My likes would have to be the Cheshire Jets basketball team, who I’ve been following since I was 12 year old. You’ll find me selling tickets at every home game with Foot 2 (Rach). I love pub quizzes, cooking, music and travelling. I missed the other three feet on a trip to see Take That reform when I was working half way round the world in Australia. I also like visiting random countries, Bosnia anyone? *
I hate cold weather, people dropping litter and also some cheesy disco music. Dancing Queen, Livin La Vida Loca & It’s Raining Men etc can happily disappear away and I would not miss them. The other four feet would say I like Dinosaurs and The Lion King. I pretend not to like them anymore, but I shed a tear on the opening sequence when I saw TLK 3D in the cinema. I watched Jurassic Park 3 the other day and knew the name of each dinosaur so…guilty!
I’m @botty84uk on Twitter and known by Hayley affectionately as DumDem, I can be a little dizzy at times and mischievous (stink bombs Helen!) What the hell, I’m a Pisces, an intelligent(ish) nutter!
Lastly, I’m the Ginger one of the group, although I would say I was Strawberry Blonde, but as I write this I can hear people going yeah yeah so it’s easier to put the ginger colour first! Although strangely none of the feet tan easily?!
Me and the Feet…Â
I’ve known Rach the longest, even before I could walk, probably because we lived two doors away growing up, so I was always at one house or the other. I think my classiest moment was learning to ride my bike and ending up head first in her paddling pool. We’ve had many memories over the 28 years. I met Helen a couple of years later at playschool I think. She was at wasn’t at my third birthday but was at my fourth, so I think it was somewhere in-between then! We went though school together and I was always remember her many romances throughout primary school! We were in a group together in year three and then we met…Hayley. She was the new girl who arrived in summer 1992. She sat with me and Helen in our group and it wasn’t long before we showed her the Huntington ways…dressing up in pillow cases, parading round the village in them then slapping our thighs singing Arawak Indians. Also Hayley and I liked to eat lunch in the stock cupboard when the other girls were out playing netball, sport, us?? We were too busy reading and drawing. Then we grew up and drifted apart and back again but always in touch, as when we meet up, it’s like we were never apart! I can say that I have been employed with all of the feet at some point, whether it is payrolling, checkouting or ticketing! I have so many memories I could list but will stop as it will turn into an essay.
Me and the Race For Life…
I originally did the Race for Life in 2007 with Hayley and Helen in Chester. I am back for round two. This year will be a little different to whatever theme/obstacle we put ourselves in. I enjoy exercise but tend to go very pink and like chocolate and food a little too much, so I am a bit on the chunky side. My name features the word Bott, so it would be a crime if I had a small Bott(om.) I am running for Hayley’s mum, I lost my uncle in 2003 and most recently my Nana last year, both to Bowel Cancer. I also am running for my friend’s dad who they lost in 2009 to Pancreatic Cancer. These are a few out of too many people to list who have suffered from or been affected by Cancer. It’s an awful condition and the sooner we find out more about it the better, so people in the future will not have to go through what we have gone through. God, I feel emotional typing this.
RIGHT SO….
You can help raise money by sponsoring our team, the Four Feet on June 9th making a fool out of ourselves on Bristol Downs.
To donate text FEET88 £1 to 70070 (replace the amount with the £1 you would like)
Online – http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/four-feet/
Please pledge your support. Even if it is only as little as 50p, you are thinking of us and we will take that on when we are going round!
* Bosnia is actually really nice and is one of my favourite places I have visited.