HELLO! magazine is honoured to be a media partner for The Prince's Trust's prestigious National Marvel Rising Star Award and is proud to announce that this year's winner is 31-year-old Tania Makwana.
The single mum of two, who overcame domestic violence, homelessness and poor mental health by turning her life around to fulfill her childhood dream of working for the Ambulance Service, will be presented with her award - which celebrates young people who have overcome barriers and are in sustainable employment - by the Prince of Wales in a star-studded ceremony hosted by Ant and Dec on 24 May at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
Tania Makwana has won The Prince's Trust's prestigious National Marvel Rising Star Award
"I was so shocked when I was told I'd won," Tania exclusively tells HELLO! "It was such a surprise and really surreal. I was like, 'Me, are you sure?' Good things don't happen to me."
"I'm proud of how far I've come," continues Tania, now an Assistant Ambulance Practitioner for the London Ambulance Service who became homeless at 17 and went on to suffer an abusive relationship. "This is the biggest thing that’s happened to me and I'm just getting my head around it. Someone once told me that it's not what you’ve done, it's what you've overcome, and that has helped me accept that I deserve it.
The 31-year-old works for the Ambulance Service
"As a child, I loved Casualty and Holby City where ambulances rescued people and wished that someone would rescue me. But when I grew up I became an ambulance worker and rescued myself."
To celebrate the achievements of Tania and other young people who have transformed their lives, The Prince's Trust Awards will be broadcast on ITV and ITV Hub at 8.30pm on 26 May.
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