Lindsay Bowers, 41, from Southampton, is on a mission to make fitness history—despite enduring a childhood marked by relentless bullying and a life-threatening attack due to her medical condition.
Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at the age of nine, Lindsay was fitted with a stoma after undergoing major bowel surgery. Her health issues, combined with frequent school absences and being exempt from physical education, made her a target for bullies. At one point, she was violently assaulted on a school bus, resulting in a damaged stoma, a broken jaw, and cracked ribs—an incident that left her in intensive care and nearly cost her life.
“If they couldn’t solve the surgery, it would have been murder at the end of the day,” she said.
Despite the trauma, Lindsay became the first child in the UK to undergo pioneering J-pouch surgery, a procedure that allowed her to live stoma-free for two decades. But in 2013, the J-pouch failed, marking the start of a painful ten-year decline in her health.
In October 2022, she underwent life-altering surgeries: a full hysterectomy and a “Barbie butt” procedure, which involved the complete removal of her colon and anus. Today, with renewed strength and determination, she’s channeling her experience into helping others—serving as a coach for people living with stomas.
Lindsay is now training to become the first person with a stoma to compete in Spartan DEKA FIT Europe, a high-intensity fitness challenge featuring eleven 500-meter runs interspersed with functional workouts such as sled pushes, box overs, RAM burpees, and medicine ball sit-ups.
Her journey has been fueled by the unwavering support of her husband Tyronne, 45, who showed his solidarity by getting a tattoo of a stoma bag inked on his abdomen.
“(My bullies) beat me up, stamped on my stoma so much that I nearly died,” she recalled. “But now, I push myself harder than ever—because I’m still here.”
Lindsay’s motivation also comes from her close-knit gym group, which she affectionately calls “The Breakfast Club.” Their encouragement has helped her reclaim her strength and confidence after years of struggle.
Lindsay’s story is also one of family resilience. Her older sister Lucy tragically died from croup at just nine months old, making her near-death experience all the more traumatic for her parents—who received no mental health support at the time.
Her groundbreaking J-pouch surgery was performed by U.S. specialist Dr. Clark, who was visiting St Mark’s Hospital in London. He traveled to Southampton specifically to operate on Lindsay, and the procedure was filmed for medical training purposes.
The J-pouch, constructed from the small intestine, allowed Lindsay to live without a stoma for 20 years by creating a new internal reservoir for waste, connected to the anus. Though the procedure ultimately failed, it gave her two decades of normalcy—and the strength to face her health challenges head-on.
Today, Lindsay is using her experience to inspire others, proving that resilience and determination can turn even the most painful past into a powerful future.
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