Dr Bella Smith

From a very young age I wanted to be a doctor. My incredible mum was a nurse for over 50 years and loved every minute of the job before her retirement before lockdown in 2020.

As a nurse she was, and still is, incredibly knowledgeable, brilliantly practical, ridiculously hard-working and, most importantly, she has a naughty sense of humour.

For me, that last one’s vital when you work in medicine.

Throughout my career I’ve been constantly surprised and frustrated to hear the heartbreaking stories of so many women who’ve endured unnecessary embarrassment and shame – and suffered in silence – because of what’s going on with their health.

It’s unbelievable that the stigmas still exist and it’s my ambition to tackle inequalities, address taboos, and empower women to become architects of their own health and wellbeing.

My mum was unshockable. She’d seen it all before in life and in her career as a nurse. There was never any embarrassment in my house. We talked openly about everything – women’s health, men’s health, willies, bums, you name it. She said it all with a wonderful honesty that made talking about these things so natural to me.

I was lucky. I never felt uncomfortable talking about ‘embarrassing’ things, and friends seemed to gravitate towards me for advice. When I was 14, a school friend was mortified when her period leaked through to the back of her skirt. Without hesitating, I took her bloody skirt and scrubbed it clean. She couldn’t believe I didn’t recoil with embarrassment or shame.

But it shouldn’t be embarrassing. We’re all women. These things can and do happen to all of us at some point. This tale from school is something I never forgot throughout my studies to become a doctor.

Another thing I never forgot is the label I was hit with at school. At 14, I was dubbed ‘not particularly sporty’, which could have been very damaging.

Today I have a young daughter, and while she might never play football for England I wouldn’t want her to get tagged the same way. These childhood experiences and labels can warp our perception and impact later-life choices when it comes to hobbies, habits and friends.

Thankfully, ‘non-sporty’ me went on to shake the label and run half marathons. I completed the London Marathon in 2016 – a huge milestone and an achievement which drastically boosted my confidence and self-belief.

It took me a while to realise that I can run and exercise, just like anyone else. I now run regular 10k races and recently completed an ultra-marathon covering 50 miles.

Completing an ultra-marathon was much more of a mental than a physical battle. It’s something that goes to highlight just how strong we can be when we really dig deep.

Myself, Baz and Emma share a common belief in the importance of being active and the endless health benefits it brings to a woman on her journey through life.

At The Well, we will empower women with vital information so we can all fulfil our potential in so many ways.

I also feel like I represent women who aren’t elite athletes. Women who maybe find their fitness later in life. Perhaps women like me who were labelled ‘not particularly sporty’ at school. All of us can be active in our own way – we can do whatever we like.

Whether you want to dance, climb, dive or lift weights. Maybe it’s badminton or snooker, running, cycling or canoeing. The important part is to stay active regardless of age, stage, status or any unhelpful labels.

When we find something we enjoy, we’re much more likely to stick with it.