Innehållsförteckning för TAK2402 från Take 5

Ever get the feeling some people are just superhuman?! I thought it back in October when 23-year-old Kelvin Kiptum broke the men’s world record in the Chicago Marathon, running 42.2km in two hours and 35 seconds. And when legendary Aussie Nedd Brockmann, became the fastest man to run 3953km across the country in 46 days and 12 hours – wow. I thought it again seeing Chayne’s pictures on page 72 this week, with 17 swords down his throat! How?! A quick survey of the Take 5 team revealed we barely have a party trick between us. Features Editor, Tash, taught herself to balance a spoon on her nose. She boasts about it on her dating profile, but sadly the potential suitors don’t seem to appreciate her talent. Have you got…

Hi Take 5ers, I’ve just been offered my dream job, something I’ve spent years working towards, but the only problem is we’d have to move interstate for it. My husband said he’d support my dream and find another job if I choose to take it, but I’m more worried about uprooting my children, ages 10 and seven. They’ve settled at school and have friends they’d be devastated to leave, so it feels selfish for me to take them away from that. But job offers like this don’t come around very often so I’m worried if I don’t take it, I won’t get another opportunity. What should I do? Christina*, 37 Are YOU in a tricky situation? Why not write in and let our readers help you out. We’ll pay $50…

Writhing in pain, I’d already been in labour for 12 hours. It was 1993 in Sierra Leone. I was 18 years old and newly married to my husband, Augustine, 23. We’d been so looking forward to the birth of our first child. At 38 weeks, I began having contractions and was admitted to hospital. But there was still no sign of the baby. A doctor examined me and determined I had placenta previa – a condition where the placenta covers the opening of the cervix. A C-section was the only option, but we’d have to pay for the surgery upfront. “We can’t afford that or pain relief,” I sobbed to Augustine, frightened and in agony. Our finances were tight. Sierra Leone was in a civil war, and work was scarce.…

Breathing deeply, I readied myself to sing the first note. By chance, standing in front of me was a mental health nurse, and behind me was a nurse specialising in cardiology. If I lose consciousness, I’ll be fine, I smiled. My Pop Choir choirmates understood I suffered from an incurable condition called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which causes me to faint without warning. Over the past year, I’ve lost consciousness 50 times. But that’s nothing compared to the almost 500 times I’ve fainted since my diagnosis. The first time it happened was in 2015, when I was 30 weeks’ pregnant with my second child. A special needs teacher, I was teaching art when I collapsed in front of the class. Doctors at the hospital assured me it was related…

Having a bad back can be especially painful, but you don’t have to put up with it. There are a series of floor exercises you can do to help strengthen your back muscles – and best of all, they’re free, easy to do and can be done in the comfort of your own home. Take your pick and follow this step-by-step guide. FLOOR ANGEL 1 Lie on your back with your feet on the floor and your elbows bent to 90 degrees. 2 Keep elbows and fingers close to the floor and draw your rib cage down towards your hips to engage your core muscles. 3 Exhale as you reach your hands overhead and slide your shoulders away from your ears, then inhale as you slide your elbows back to…

My engagement ring twinkled as I fiddled with the pregnancy test impatiently. “The wait is killing me,” I said anxiously. My fiancé Edward’s eyes remained glued to the stick in my hand. Just then, a second line appeared on it. “Yes!” we cried, jumping up together. We were engaged the year before and our wedding was in five months. Everything was sorted – the venue, food, cake, Edward’s suit, and my dress, which would need adjusting for my bump. But the life growing inside me wasn’t ours. I was lending my womb to help two very special people we’d met months earlier. I snapped a photo of the test and sent it to them. “They won’t believe it,” I said, grinning happily. Ever since I was a teenager I’d been…

THEY GOT THE LOT! On the night of 23 November 1978, the sleepy town of Murwillumbah, NSW, was dark and quiet. Some time after 10.30pm, robbers broke into the Bank of New South Wales. They silently made their way to the Chubb safe in which $1.7 million, possibly more, was stored, most of it in readiness for paying government employees. The gang had a device known as a magnetic drill. It consisted of a circular electromagnet that clamped to the metal door of the safe, allowing a diamondtipped drill to make deep holes near the lock. Through the holes they passed a tiny camera and manipulated the tumblers of the lock until they fell into place and unlocked the safe door. The delicate work took hours to carry out. At…

CAPRICORN Dec 23 –Jan 20 You will soon have a chance to start all over again in every part of your life. As a result, you can expect to feel a rush of new vitality. Be optimistic about the year ahead – the stars are on your side. Thinking positively is key. ★ This really is a turnaround year for you – claim it! ARIES Mar 21 –Apr 20 Close your eyes and imagine your ideal scenario for your working life or whatever it is that you do that you’re ‘known for’ in the coming year. Focus on that this week. ★ Get clear on your intentions so you can manifest them. CANCER June 22 – July 23 There is powerful new energy around you right now, and it’s…

Loud knocking snapped me awake. “Someone get the door,” I called out from bed. It was 8am on Father’s Day 2020, and I’d hoped to have a bit of a lie in. Above the racket, I heard a stern male voice asking if I was at home. I jumped up and quickly threw on some clothes. Sprinting down the hall, I was shocked to see two police officers standing there. “Mr Crumblin,” said one officer, “please step away from the house.” My blood ran cold as I moved to the front lawn. In hushed tones, they informed me that my father, Kevin Crumblin Snr, 50, had died earlier that morning. He’d been stabbed multiple times at his home and suffered fatal wounds to his head and body. There were few…

I glanced around at my fellow beachgoers before nervously taking off my shorts to reveal my swimmers underneath. It was a hot summer’s day in 2022 and the beach was really crowded. Everyone is looking at me, I fretted, feeling paranoid. Tufts of hair spilt out the side of my bikini bottoms after I’d recently decided to stop shaving, fed up with always having to do it. Suddenly, I heard a couple of girls giggling, and when I turned around, I realised they were laughing at me. It triggered a flashback from when I was 10 and had just hit puberty. During a swimming carnival, a couple of older girls pointed out my pubic hair that was showing. “That’s so disgusting,” one cried out. “Haven’t you ever heard of a…

Perfect for faking a sun-kissed glow, the latte trend is all about accentuating your natural features with bronze, brown and nude shades. Bridging the gap between glam and neutral, this look suits everyone. “Make sure the bronze colours and tones you’re using work with your skin tone to avoid a harsh finish that doesn’t match the rest of your body,” says Charlotte Knight, founder of Ciatè London. 1 Barely-there base The key is to create a natural base with lightreflecting products. “Think primers and skin tints with a dewy texture that are hydrating. You want a little bit of coverage where needed but otherwise super fresh and light,” explains Charlotte. Keep your base minimal or add a dab of extra concealer. 1. Revolution Hydrate Primer, $15 2. Mecca Max…

Sweat poured down my forehead as I lifted the heavy stretcher. I can do this, I told myself. It was 1999, and I was part way through the Commando selection course. Thankfully, the ‘body’ we were carrying was actually a heavy sandbag, but everything else about the arduous 30km march was as tough as real-life conditions could get. Growing up, I’d had it pretty tough. My dad, Michael, had been violent, often beating my mum, Helene, in front of me and my three sisters. Although Mum was frightened, she remained strong for us. “Why don’t we just leave?” I begged her once. “Because he’ll find us and kill me,” she replied. I never asked again. Mum used us kids as peacekeepers, asking us to help get Dad in a good…