A WOMAN who travelled the world despite having cystic fibrosis and who hasn’t let a lung transplant stop her living life to the full has been chosen as an alternative role model for young girls.

Sue Britton, 47, from Chelmsford, is among a number of “Warrior Women” from across Essex picked to take part in a project that aims to provide inspiration to girls by pr.

Tired of being known as “the sick girl”, Sue left her home in Somerset in her twenties to seek out a new life and set off on a seven-month global adventure.

She said: “The fact I had cystic fibrosis and needed medication in an oral and aerosol form daily was not going to stop me.”

Sue also has diabetes and, despite returning from a trip around Europe to find this condition had progressed to the stage of needing insulin injections, she continued to make the most of life, moving to Essex to settle with a partner.

Meanwhile, her cystic fibrosis - an inherited condition which causes the lungs and digestive system to become clogged with thick, stucky mucus - also continued to get worse.

At an annual review in 2008 she realised how poorly she had become when medics began talking about a transplant.

Sue said: “I had no idea I was ill, let alone that ill!”

Within three months, she had been hospitalised to save her life and a year later she was on the transplant list and dependent on oxygen full-time.

Now, six years on from her lung transplant, Sue says she is loving life.

She said: “I’ve had ups and downs and it’s not perfect, but I’m still here, alive and kicking - loving my life and loving living.”

And Sue is feeling even better after receiving a pampering session, makeover and professional photo shoot as part of the Warrior Women project, which was set up by photographer Chanon deValois to celebrate women who are tackling and overcoming adversity to lead successful lives.

Chanon became saddened at the adoration her 15-year-old stepdaughter and friends felt for celebrities, pop stars and YouTube personalities.

On a mission to demonstrate more real-life heroes, she teamed up with hair and make-up artist Michelle Lacey, of Bumblebee Bridal, to launch the Warrior Women series.

Chanon, whose studio is based in Chelmsford, said: “Young people seem fascinated by the amount of money celebrities are making by doing things like talking nonsense on YouTube.

“I find it so sad that these are the people they are looking up to when all around them are truly amazing people, the real idols, achieving so much in their

lives.

“We wanted to tell these Warrior Women’s stories in the hope of making young people stop and reconsider who they look up to and admire in life.

“We want them to realise there are people all around who are inspiring and it’s not all about looking on the internet at people who are rich and famous. It’s about realising what real people go through and how amazing they can be.”

Sue said taking part in the project was “an amazing, feel-good experience”.

She said: “I felt and looked horrible, but Chanon told me she and Michelle had the power to change all that, to make me look and feel fabulous.

“Not only did I come away feeling full of life, buzzing and looking a million dollars, but I have some outstanding photographs I will treasure forever.”

To nominate an inspirational woman, email info@cvphoto.co.uk.