Sheree's story: “If you look after yourself, it really makes the world of difference."

Finding joy through dance and movement

38-year-old Sheree Dubois from London has lived with osteoarthritis since 2003. She is a performer, graphic designer and advocate for the healing power of movement and creative expression.  

Sheree was diagnosed at the age of 15, when a knee injury sparked an investigation which led to a diagnosis of arthritis. Over the years, her condition began to impact other joints. And today, Sheree has arthritis in both knees, her hips and her hands, causing debilitating pain. 

Throughout her life, Sheree has found comfort and joy in dance. And despite her pain, she continues to perform as the activity not only helps her physically, but emotionally too. 

Sheree believes in the need for more conversations about arthritis and pain to encourage compassion and promote acceptance.  

She is also passionate about what it’s like to be a plus-size Black woman living with arthritis and other disabilities. Particularly in regard to how this affects her work as a performer in a creative industry. 

38-year-old Sheree Dubois from London has always loved to express herself through movement. But in 2003, a trampolining accident sparked a series of events that changed Sheree’s relationship with her body forever. “I used to be a trampolinist and a dancer,” explains Sheree.

“In 2003, I had a trampolining accident and that’s where everything started to go wrong…I was given crutches and went straight into rehab and physio. I was determined to not allow the accident to stop me from doing everything I loved and moving my body.”

Sheree was warned against trampolining to allow the ligaments of her knee to heal. But she felt a strong desire to return to expressive movement in any way that she could: “I still went to dance class and started learning routines sitting down and as soon as I got off my crutches I got back into it. I love that spirit about me, I was so determined.”

Arthritis diagnosis following injury

Initially, doctors focused on Sheree’s ligament damage. But during her recovery, Sheree learned that her knee was also showing signs of arthritis. “My knees were clicking and grinding so much,” she remembers. “I suppose I assumed that it was part of the healing. I thought the worst thing anyone could do was break their leg…But then suddenly the carpet was pulled out from under me and I found out I had this condition called arthritis. I just refused to believe it initially. I felt like I HAD to heal.”

But Sheree didn’t heal. In fact, over the years, her condition began to impact other joints. And today, Sheree has arthritis in both knees, her hips and her hands. She also has bursitis in her shoulder (inflammation of the fluid-filled sac that cushions bones, tendons and muscles near joints) and psoriasis. All of which causes Sheree a great deal of pain and discomfort.

And yet, she perseveres with movement, driven by her love of performance. “The pain I’ve had for many years can be debilitating, especially when it gets cold. I do West End theatre shows and they can be physical,” she says. “I’m plus size as well and I’ve always done these physical things. You look at me and think there’s no way she can do that. Yes, I can!  It’s really made me tune into myself and my body.” 

The show must go on

But Sheree is keenly aware of the potential impact her condition could have on how her talent and ability is perceived. She explains: “I do disclose early on what my situation is. It’s a hard one because you don’t want to hinder yourself by telling people, but it’s important to be transparent.” 

“I think my reputation has helped me because my arthritis has rarely stopped me. I tend to always do my job, even on days where it might be a bit harder, I’ll have my knee supports on under my costume and I’ll make it through. The show must go on after all.”

That said, a one-woman show can feel rather lonely: “I don’t really have any industry support. I’ve had a lot of questions from people about my arthritis and people will say they didn’t even know, until they saw me hobbling to my car afterwards. I’m trying to speak about it more because you don’t know what people are going through half the time. People in the audience might be going through the same thing as me and feeling hopeless.” 

Finding self-management strategies has been key to Sheree’s continued success. From pacing herself to using heat packs and oils, she has learned to listen to her body with compassion and respond to its shifting needs. When asked what keeps her going, she said: “I think the determination is really important, the mindset is really important. You have to pick yourself up and keep going. I feel like there’s a lot of stigma around arthritis and people assume you can’t do anything at all. There are times like that but there’s a lot you still can do with arthritis. if you look after yourself it really makes the world of difference.”

Despite her resolve, Sheree’s condition does negatively impact her life. She’s no longer able to run or cycle. And simple activities (such as washing her hair or opening a bottle of water) can be a challenge. But through it all, Sheree remains determined. “Don’t let your limitations actually limit you. Truly believing in yourself in a certain way will make the biggest difference in how you live your life. There’s always a way you can do it or get around it.”