Yorkshire women of courage in running for award

The Extraordinary Women awards are held annually and those who make the shortlist must be nominated by someone who believes they are worthy of national recognition.

This year, three women from Sheffield and one from East Yorkshire are in the running, including a mother of three who overcame a stroke and “locked-in syndrome” to return to normal life.

Kate Allatt, 40, of Dore, Sheffield, was struck down by a blood clot on the brain in February 2010 and was given only a 50 per cent chance of survival by medics.

When she emerged from a coma, she was paralysed and unable to speak, although could hear and see everything around her, leading to the “locked in” diagnosis.

But she has now moved home following eight months rehabilitation, and after what friends and family called an “amazing recovery”, she is now taking singing lessons to improve her speech.

Alison Stokes, a friend of Mrs Allatt, who nominated her for the award, said: “Doctors told her family she would never walk or talk. But they didn’t know Kate.

“Determined to prove them wrong, she learnt to communicate using one blink for no and two for yes. Slowly she began using a letter board and blinked the words: ‘I will walk again’.

“Eventually she was able to move her hands and communicated with the world outside the hospital via Facebook, and she is now writing a book about her experiences.”

Mrs Allatt will be joined by two other Sheffield women at the awards ceremony next Tuesday at Nottingham’s East Midlands Conference Centre.

One is Christina Trindade, who has been nominated for her work as a “serial entrepreneur” who turned her achievements into a business which encourages other women to set up enterprises.

Mrs Trindade, who is currently working with women in Morocco, lived in poverty for the early years of her life, and was forced to deal with violence as a young child.

The third South Yorkshire nominee, Georgia Hall, also suffered an abuse as a child, but has achieved success despite having therapy to deal with what happened to her and her siblings.

Speaking about her nomination Mrs Hall, who recently launched a fitness studio at Parkhead, Sheffield, said she felt “undeserving” of a place in the awards line-up.

The married mother of two added: “To be even vaguely associated with some of the women on this list is a real honour. I just don’t feel worthy to be among all these other amazing women.

“I suppose the way I am today could be something to do with what happened to me as a child. It was horrendous. Maybe it is just a survival mechanism I created back then which helps me today.”

Mrs Hall’s friend and business associate Faye Smith, who nominated her for the award, said her modesty was misplaced and said she had “fought like a tiger” to achieve her dreams.

She added: “She has true grit, determination and belief this is the right thing to do, for her children, herself and her family’s future.”

The fourth Yorkshire nominee, Sue Hickson-Marsay, was put forward for the award for her work as the only female coxswain of a Humber pilot launch and the Hornsea Inshore Rescue. The group provides life-saving cover where there is no RNLI or coastguard help and is funded entirely by contributions.

All her work is voluntary and Hornsea Inshore Rescue is now building a new boathouse in the town, to operate alongside its existing centre, which was recently opened by Princess Anne.