A TEENAGER who thought she was ‘thick’ before finding out she was dyslexic has added another string to her bow after passing a sport therapy course with flying colours.
Sophie Loader, from Malvern Link, appeared in The Observer in February 2014 after she completed a diploma in beauty therapy and has now moved on to bigger and better things.
The now 20-year-old, who works for Malvern Beauty Clinic in Barnards Green, had to have her learning material printed on pink paper to help her read it while studying for a course at Worcester College of Technology.
These achievements have marked something of a change in fortunes for Sophie who struggled with her work at school before her condition was discovered.
She failed her first attempts at SATs in Year 9 before teachers at The Chase School asked her to resit them only this time with the assistance of someone reading the questions.
It made an immediate difference as Sophie turned her Es and Fs into Bs and Cs and has recently achieved a distinction in sports therapy.
“I found it really, really difficult to do my work in school. I just thought I was thick. But I felt I knew the answers I just couldn’t’t get them down in time,” Sophie said.
“I was over the moon when I got my results.
“It just proves if you have the right support and network you can do whatever you want.
“I had a lot of people who helped me build my confidence.”
Debbie Loader, Sophie’s mum, who is also the owner of Malvern Beauty Clinic, said: “Sophie used to think she was thick and stupid so I was relieved when she was diagnosed.
“She is doing really well and has had a lot of help from local people who were willing to let her practise on them.”
Debbie said Matt Godfrey, from Energize Health and Fitness Centre, has also helped her daughter a lot giving her advice and guidance.
“Originally Sophie wanted to be a PE teacher at school but snapped her anterior cruciate ligament twice and fractured her thigh bone and was told she couldn’t continue to do sport,” she added.
“So after she came into the beauty trade and completed her level two and three qualifications we decided to have a look at sports therapy because she liked to do the massages and she liked sport so we thought it would be an ideal thing for her.
“She was working full-time and studying – I am very proud of my daughter.
“It was just a case of making her believe she could do it, we all knew she could.”
