Stortford fitness instructor who suffered miscarriage bounces back for charity

At Birchwood High School on Sunday (Feb 25), 31-year-old fitness instructor Reshma Tedman will hold the first of two events she has organised in aid of the charity which helped her in the wake of her miscarriage - an experience that one in four women will suffer at some point in their lifetime.

On Christmas Day, Reshma and husband Jay, 36, had been planning to announce to their family that they were expecting their second child.

The couple, who live in Norfolk Way, first met 12 years ago. Reshma was in the year above Jay’s brother at Birchwood. They married in 2013, and three-and-a-half years ago their little boy, Sammy, was born.

Reshma loved her new role as a mum and was eager to have another child, so last year they decided to try for their second. “We thought it was probably the right time, as our son was going into reception,” she said.

But three days before their big announcement, the couple were given devastating news.

Reshma had all the signs and symptoms of a miscarriage, so, on the morning of December 22, the pair rushed to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, where their worst fears were confirmed. “My body rejected the pregnancy overnight,” she said.

Later, Reshma learned the shocking statistic that one in four women will experience a miscarriage.

“One of my best friends had a miscarriage around the same time and it really hit home how horrible it really was,” she said. “It’s such a taboo subject, no-one talks about it. So many people suffer about it in silence.”

Wanting to know why her pregnancy had ended so suddenly, she turned to Tommy’s, a charity that believes that miscarriage and stillbirth should not be seen as ‘bad luck’ and funds research to help save babies’ lives.

“After going through the emotion, pain and heartache, I had to turn it into something more positive,” Reshma said.

This prompted her to organise two fund-raising events for Tommy’s, the first of which, a £15 fitness workout with lunch thown in, will take place on Sunday.

This high-energy event will incorporate Boogie Bounce, an exercise programme on a mini trampoline. Reshma is the franchise owner of the Bishop’s Stortford classes.

Those who take part will get to try two types of workouts: Boogie Bounce Xtreme, which includes an effective cardio section and powerful toning section, and Boogie Bounce Revolution, which incorporates the trampolines into a circuit training course.

Reshma is hoping to welcome some of her regular bouncers as well as some fresh faces.

The Bounce-athon will take place from 10am until 1pm at Birchwood’s dance studio, and will include lunch and a raffle. One of Reshma’s regular bouncers, Francesca Pellegrino, is making cakes for a bake sale and as raffle prizes.

The second event is a disco at Bishop’s Stortford Swifts Football Club at Silver Leys on Saturday, April 7, from 8pm.

Reshma has been inundated with support from local businesses, which have donated raffle prizes, and she has been given use of the venue that evening for free.

To publicise her events, Reshma shared her story on a Just Giving webpage and the donations flooded in. Within 24 hours, she had smashed her £500 target. Her current fundraising total stands at £727. Dozens of women, many of whom she hardly knew, messaged her to offer support and to share their experiences of their own miscarriages.

To book a space on Reshma’s Bounce-athon, book online via https://bookwhen.com/BBxFitResh. Tickets to Reshma’s charity disco cost £5. To book, call 07787 551183.