Award-winning Yorkshire bodybuilder tells of her battle with epilepsy

As a child, Jade suffered from mild ‘tonic-clonic’ seizures. Her fellow pupils thought she was putting them on, and as a result was bullied at school.

“I started with absent seizures and people just thought I was ignoring them and then when I had a full on seizure they thought I was putting it on and I came round to people laughing at me.”

However, it wasn’t until she was 21, that she was diagnosed with the condition after a major seizure stopped her heart.

Luckily her partner was with her at the time. He performed CPR and saved her life. She subsequently had three more seizures and on two occasions was admitted to hospital.

“It got to the point where I was having six or seven seizures a day and that’s when I got diagnosed and they started me on medication - although they do control the seizures they do have side-effects, especially tiredness,” she says.

Jade Kelsie, who had been competing in bodybuilding tournaments since the age of 17, was convinced the epilepsy diagnosis would put an end to her passion for weightlifting, together with her dreams of owning a gym and becoming a sports coach.

“My specialist said I had got no chance and I couldn’t compete again; I couldn’t diet and couldn’t strip my body fat down,” she recalls. “So, I took a year out and I just ate rubbish. I didn’t train, didn’t do anything and I lost all the motivation and progress I worked so hard to build up. I was in and out of hospital for about two years having seizures, and it was just so rubbish.

“It really was the worst two years of my life; I can’t even explain it. It was hard to come to terms with having epilepsy and for a while I pretended that I didn’t have it and tried to live a normal life of a 21-year-old, going out drinking/partying which was a big mistake taking me back further health wise.”

She realised if she didn’t do something about her lifestyle it could have serious consequences. This is when she took up bodybuilding again.

“I was already a personal trainer in a gym which was hard having to change my lifestyle knowing my triggers for seizures was tiredness, stress and overheating. But I made it possible I cleaned up my eating, training and my whole life has changed.” With a new training regime, and sticking to a strict diet, Jade Kelsie got her epilepsy under control, and within a year was back competing and began winning shows. Her wins included being crowned the Overall Winner in the Amateur Olympia Bikini Champion 2019, First Amateur Olympia London Bikini competition 2019, and Overall Winner 2Bros Watford competition 2019.

This in turn led Jade Kelsie to become one of the first women in Yorkshire to hold an International Federation of Bodybuilders ‘pro card’.

Her qualifications include Level 2 Fitness Instructor, Level 3 Personal Trainer, level 4.

“Initially I didn’t think I’d be able to do it anymore. It gives me goosebumps even thinking about it,” says Jade. “Before, I’d never got far with bodybuilding, but I’d always done well – but when I went back, I was just winning all the time, which I couldn’t believe. I had to keep pinching myself.

“As soon as I went back on the diet plan and got into a regular training routine, doing everything by the book, I didn’t have a seizure for two years.

“I know how to begin from the beginning, and how to get back up again when health issues, or a rough patch, makes you feel like you’re starting from zero.

“With determination and the right support with your diet and exercise plan, you can come back from almost anything that comes your way. I thought starting out and getting fit for the first time was hard – and it was. But it was nothing compared with the pain, satisfaction and pride of getting fit again after I thought I’d lost everything.”

Jade Kelsie now helps other people with her on line coaching business. “When I was younger, I hated any form of physical activity,” she admits.

“I was the sort of person that used to forge notes to get out of PE, I absolutely hated it all the way through school. I just didn’t like team sports. I got bullied, so school was tough for me. I didn’t want to be there in the first place, and I didn’t want to play team sports like netball because I didn’t have any friends.

“My mum was a body builder and when I was about 15 she took me to her gym so we could do a ‘spin’ class together. Instead, I found the weights and was hooked from that instant.” She says while she was inspired by her mum’s fitness to start toning up herself, the other reason she started bodybuilding was her dad said she couldn’t do it.

“I’m a stubborn person, driven by proving other people and my own doubts wrong. In a way, I have him to thank, too – I don’t think I would be here doing what I love today if my dad hadn’t said that to me,” says Jade Kelsie.

Earlier this year Jade Kelsie became an Ambassador for The Voice of Epilepsy charity.

“I decided to become an ambassador for the charity The Voice for Epilepsy so that I can spread awareness about how to deal with everything and help those who are struggling to come to terms with the fact that they have epilepsy.

“People still don’t know much about epilepsy. I have had times when I have had a seizure in the street and people have just walked over me and done nothing to help because they thought I was drunk.”

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