A mum who has always loved doing roly-polys has sadly rolled her last after her final one, attempted at the pub two years back, left her in agony. After being rushed to A&E, Kelly Story, 38, was told she'd need to have spinal surgery, with her spinal discs having been pushed out.
The mum-of-two, who has loved doing roly-polys since childhood, then underwent a gruelling five-and-a-half-hour spinal op to remove two intervertebral discs from her spine in February, during which surgeons had to replace her slipped discs with a cage.
Kelly is now back at work, having taken a total of one year and eight months off before and after, but is sad to report her 'roly-poly days are over'. Doctors have warned just one more roly-poly could lead to her needing to use a wheelchair.
Kelly, a Sainsbury’s shop assistant, said: "The surgeon told me my roly-poly days were over. It’s been two years now since I’ve done a roly-poly. It’s quite a sad existence, I won’t lie. It was my go-to thing to do and now I’ve got nothing to do. Doctors said if my disc slips any further I could end up in a wheelchair.”
In June 2020, just one month before the pub roly-poly that left her needing surgery, Kelly, known as 'calamity Kelly' to family members, was filmed tumbling over while attempting a slip-and-slide in her brother’s garden.
She also ended up breaking her collarbone three years ago after a pal challenged her to a roly-poly contest during an early morning during an early-morning bacon butty run.
Kelly, of Carlisle, Cumbria, admitted: :I should come with a big warning sign. I shouldn’t be allowed out. Ever since I was young, I’ve loved a roly-poly. People are always like ‘Where’s Kelly roly-polying around the pub?’ I did it everywhere.”
According to Kelly, her mates think she's a 'total legend', while her more 'chilled out' husband Liam sees her as more of a 'total sausage', and will just shake his head at her antics.
Although she may need to give the amateur gymnastics a rest going forward, it doesn't look as though self-confessed joker Kelly intends to stop making people chuckle anytime soon.
During lockdown, Kelly drew different mustaches on her face during each shift to help raise a smile amongst Sainsbury's customers.
She explained: "I just like to make people smile. If it makes me look stupid in the process then so what?”
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