Latest news with #JuliaGrant
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
17 Historical Figures Who Had Some Of The Most Brutal Deaths In History
Warning: This post discusses intense violence. They say history is always written from the perspective of the victor, even though those who have been defeated in gruesome deaths find themselves immortalized in some capacity. Their endings aren't pretty by any means, though they're remembered more vividly than those who've left this world on a less disastrous note. Recently, I did a deep dive on r/AskReddit where, in one post, someone asked users to name the "famous historical figures [who] had deaths proportionally brutal to their level of fame." Here's what people had to say: Note: Some responses have been condensed and edited for clarity. 1."Ulysses S. Grant, but it was still a noble death." "After losing all his money to a Ponzi scheme, he defied a throat cancer diagnosis in order to write his memoirs (published by Mark Twain) so that the proceeds would sustain his wife after his death. He wrote one thousand words a day, every day, until the cancer left him too weak to write. At this point, he hired a stenographer and dictated the final chapters through the pain of advanced throat cancer, for which he was denied morphine to keep his mind sharp. At the end, he was forced to wear a wool scarf for all public appearances to hide the fist-sized tumor in front of his neck. After a year's work and 366,000 words written, he gave the manuscript to Mark Twain to publish and was told that 100,000 copies had been pre-ordered. One week later, he succumbed to cancer. Julia Grant and their children received the modern equivalent of 12 million dollars. The work was such a commercial success, it outsold Twain's other work, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." –u/maejaws 2."Julius Caesar's death is pretty wild. Stabbed to death on the Senate floor by people he thought were his political allies and personal friends." –u/JackC1126 3."Blackbeard the Pirate (Edward Teach). Cornered by the British Navy, he went down fighting. When his body was examined, he had been shot five times and had 20 sword cuts. The British sailors fired another 20 shots into his body and cut off his head to be displayed as a warning to other would-be pirates." –u/Johhnymaddog316 4."Sigurd the Mighty. A Norwegian Jarl of Shetland who conquered part of Northern Scotland." "At one point, he challenged Máel Brigte the Buck-Toothed, a local leader, to a battle with 40 men to each side. Dishonorably, he brought 80 men to the battle instead of 40 and, as you might imagine, easily won. Máel Brigte was beheaded, and Sigurd rode home victorious with the head strapped to his saddle. That victory proved to be his last, however, as Máel Brigte the Buck-Toothed proved that his nickname was well earned. As Sigurd rode, the teeth of the severed head rubbed up against his leg, causing an open sore which became infected, leading to the death of Sigurd the Mighty." –u/Paige_Railstone 5."Charles of Navarre (Charles the Bad) died a quite terrible death. At 54 years old (1387), he fell seriously ill, and on the doctor's advice, they wrapped him in linen soaked in brandy. Because, you know, medieval medicine. Unfortunately, the maid tripped and dropped a candle, which set the brandy ablaze, burning the man alive." –u/MinuteCow8927 6."Anne Boleyn. Henry VIII must have actually loved her at one point, to then turn around and have her not only executed, but then erase her as much as he possibly could afterwards. He felt so betrayed (despite being the betrayer himself), he tried to erase her existence." –u/TrespianRomance 7."Jamestown governor John Ratcliffe, the villain in Disney's Pocahontas. Had his skin peeled off and thrown in a fire in front of him." –u/Pantastic_Studios 8."Joan of Arc, a 19-year-old girl being slowly burned to death by the same church she dedicated her life to, while chanting Christ's name over and over. Only to be named a Saint by that same church centuries later." –u/SemperFun62 9."Qaddafi getting sodomized with a bayonet has to be up there." –u/flightist 10."Robespierre. Shot in the jaw, unable to speak, which is what helped start the Terror in the first place — his words. Taken to the guillotine like so many others." –u/drulaps 11."Roland Freisler died a fittingly brutal death. He was a Nazi judge who oversaw a lot of torture and thousands of death sentences. Differing accounts say that he was killed either when a piece of his courtroom crushed him in an air raid, or when shrapnel hit him and he ran out only to bleed to death on the courthouse steps." –u/petitecrivain 12."Stalin lay on the ground in his office for about 11 hours after having a stroke, dying slowly in pain. The staff were too scared to enter his private office without explicit permission, so they waited until a senior person showed up." –u/unclear_warfare Luther King Jr., as the most visible leader of the Civil Rights Movement, was assassinated in a brutal act of racial violence intended to silence his powerful message. Instead, his death became a rallying cry for the movement and further elevated his status as a global icon of peace and justice." –u/Spice-Fairy04 14."Bonnie and Clyde. Holy shit, that car had a lot of bullet holes in it." –u/PreparedStatement 15."Joseph Smith." "Today, he is best known for founding the Mormon religion, but he had higher ambitions than that. He started a large cult, very similar to what you see today, where he was a godlike leader who had multiple wives and required complete adherence from his followers. But this was the 1830s in the 'Wild West,' where people were distracted with other things, so before time caught up with him, he had developed as a full-on nation-state, with thousands of members, in Western Illinois. For the second time in a 10-year span, Smith amassed a large, heavily armed militia, overthrew the government, destroyed the newspapers, imposed martial law, and declared that he was running for US president, at which point it was assumed he would attempt to take over the entire country, whether he won or lost. Smith was charged with treason and taken to an Illinois prison. Before he could face trial, hundreds of men stormed the jail, shot Smith repeatedly, at which point Smith tried to escape by jumping from the second-story window, which probably killed him, but the mob went outside and beat and repeatedly shot Smith's corpse just to be was a murder trial for some of the mob members who killed Smith, but all the defendants were acquitted, partially due to jury nullification, but also because there were so many people who shot, beat, and took credit for killing him, it was impossible to prove that one person actually did the deed." –u/Many_Collection_8889 16."William the Conqueror died of a massive infection caused by an injury he received from the pommel of his saddle." –u/MartialBob 17."Samuel Doe (21st President of Liberia). He faced 12 hours of torture (which included his ears getting cut off and some of his fingers and toes amputated) before he was finally murdered." If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE, which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here.
Newsroom
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsroom
Tri champ returns to first love
Julia Grant is chasing a good day out. The Methven-born and raised runner and mum of two is lining up to run her debut 100km ultra marathon race in New South Wales this month, just weeks after finishing second in the Christchurch Marathon. A former professional Ironman triathlete, Grant is loving her new challenge – balancing two young sons, an energetic dog, a significant lack of sleep, part-time work as an event and sponsorship coordinator and a deep passion for long-distance running. Grant's love for running began as a youngster. But after several years of competition, she developed a stress fracture that took her off the track for a year, forcing her to look elsewhere for her cardio fix. Swimming and biking were the next best thing and so her triathlon career began – racing over the Olympic distance until her early twenties, before moving up to the longer Ironman format. Grant spent eight years following Ironman races around the world – five of them on the European and American circuits before settling back in New Zealand to work and race across Asia-Pacific. A few adventure races in China were added along the way to keep things interesting. 'I loved adventure racing and the change from an individual to a team sport. Adventure racing in China is a little different from the usual adventure racing – we would do the standard running, mountain biking and kayaking but would also do abseiling, walking on stilts, archery and even threading chillis – just anything they decided really,' Grant says. A consistent performer, Grant regularly placed in the top 10, including notably winning Challenge Taiwan in 2018. After an impressive fifth place finish at Ironman New Zealand – her final race in 2020 – Grant turned her focus to building her family with her partner Daniel. Julia Grant is cheered on by partner, Daniel, and their sons, Doug and Miles. Photo: supplied 'It was great fun – I was making enough to get by and got to travel a lot, but I decided that my last race would be in March 2020 before the kid journey started,' she says. It meant changing her sporting challenges too. 'It's much easier to just focus on running with kids, it doesn't take up as much time,' she says. With pace, experience and grit on her side, Grant has been pulling in the podium spots this season, securing third place in both Nelson's 50km Spectacle race in December and February's Tarawera Ultra-Trail 50km race. As the last hit-out before her 100km adventure, Julia blazed her way to second place at the Christchurch Marathon in 2h 52m 42s. 'Christchurch wasn't really in the plan, but I work for Pure Sports Nutrition, and they had some entries left so I thought I'd give it a go,' Grant says. 'I knew the distance would be fine but hadn't really been doing any training on the road, so I thought I'd try those carbon-plated shoes that everyone raves about, and they really work.' Not registered with an athletics club, Grant was unable to take home the New Zealand silver medal – Christchurch doubled as the national marathon championships – but impressed with her pace despite the wind picking up during the last two laps. 'People got a bit confused about the unofficial placing, but I promise I haven't done anything bad – I just didn't realise I had to be registered,' Grant laughs. Julia Grant on the swim leg of the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman in 2015. Ahead of the Ultra-Trail Australia (UTA) 100km race in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales this weekend, Grant is focused on squeezing in a few more quality runs before she and Steph Nevins, an equally distance-mad friend, jump on the plane. 'The race was Steph's idea. She's become a bit addicted to ultras and as we both turn 40 this year, she thought there was no better way to celebrate than by running 100km. I figured that I'd run 50km before and 100 is just double that, so it should be fine, right?' Grant says. 'I've just had to go find some stairs, apparently there are a lot of those in the UTA. So I've added in an hour of stairs in the Port Hills each week, so I don't get too much of a fright.' Known for its beauty and brutality, the UTA100 will start in Katoomba in the early morning of May 17, before sending runners on 4501m of elevation through the Blue Mountains. Seven checkpoints will be dotted across the course to provide refuel and rehydration stations. Runners have a maximum of 28 hours to complete the distance, with last year's women's race winner finishing in 10h 41m. 'I'm thinking I'll have to be quite self-sufficient,' Grant says. 'There are a few of us heading over but I don't really have an official support crew – I should probably start thinking about how I'm going to make that work.' With two young children underfoot, Grant is remarkably relaxed about the upcoming physical challenge and her training has been focused on quality over quantity. 'There are a lot more early morning starts,' she says. 'It can be hard to find that time to train during the day so I have to make it count. 'In the past I've had all the time in the world, but I've overtrained and got injured, so I'm actually doing better now, with less sessions but better quality. I just go by how I feel and figure things out along the way.' Grant's love for running and her 'nuts' border collie, Winston, kept her running through her pregnancies, although she was careful to get the right care following the birth of her babies. 'The dog will go mad if we don't take him for a run, so that's a good incentive to get out every day – I've been doing lots of running with a stroller,' Grant says. 'It also keeps me mentally sane, even if I have to run really slow. I managed to run up to a couple of days before my second son was born – it was just a wee shuffle. 'The lack of sleep is a challenge, but you have to make sure you do things right to have a long future in running. Seeing professionals to help get my body ready was important and sometimes you accept when you just need to sleep over getting up early to run – although I'm a bit addicted so probably just do it anyway.' The early work is paying off and Grant is fit and on-form before one of the biggest races in Australia. 'I love being competitive and the feeling on race-day is something else. I'll always try for a result – I don't expect to win but I'll give it everything.' Grant plans to line up in the Queenstown Marathon later in the year, and will also take part in the iconic multisport race Peak to Pub in Methven — skiing 2km, mountain biking 18km and running 12km from the summit of Mt Hutt to the Blue Pub in the Methven township. 'I grew up skiing but generally rely on the run to finish well in that one – it's a staple in the calendar,' Grant says. 'I'll keep running through winter as I really do love it. Although I'm a bit worried I might get addicted to ultra running after the UTA – that would make things interesting.'
Metro
04-05-2025
- Health
- Metro
I came out - 10 years later I had to do it again
Coming out as transgender has been a lot like coming out with having multiple sclerosis (MS). They happened at different stages of my life but have some key similarities: NHS waiting times for treatment, adjusting to a new reality, and even people thinking it was a death sentence! It's been a long road to get to where I am today. There wasn't one specific day where I realised I was trans. It was like an hourglass, the grains building up over time. I do have a memory from 1992 of seeing a trailer for a BBC documentary series called A Change of Sex about a woman called Julia Grant; at seven years old, I remember thinking, 'I'm not the only one!' I went to bed feeling a lot less alone. In my teens and early adulthood, I talked to close friends about wanting to transition but feared I'd be disowned or rejected by family and friends. As I got older, I'd take a change of clothes with me on nights out and do my makeup in nightclub bathrooms. Then, at university, I made some really supportive friends and outings to gay clubs and fetish nights followed. I started to think more seriously about transitioning when I moved to Manchester in my mid-twenties. I was in a metal band but I'd already changed my name and talked about wanting to transition often enough that it didn't surprise my bandmates. With thousands of members from all over the world, our vibrant LGBTQ+ WhatsApp channel is a hub for all the latest news and important issues that face the LGBTQ+ community. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications! Whenever I thought about the future, I was a woman. Every time I caught sight of myself, my appearance made me sad. I could barely stand to look at myself. When an old friend asked me if transitioning would help me find the peace he could see I'd never had, it moved me to tears and I quietly nodded 'yes'. It took a bit of time for all of my friends and family to come around. There were some negative reactions: Some people acted like I was dying, even though I'd never felt more alive. There were also thoughtful and considered responses, too, like those from female friends who congratulated me and asked if I'd like some of their old clothes. Another friend told me that he was aware I would be more vulnerable and if I ever needed any support, he'd be there. I loved him for that. Unfortunately, I had to wait two years before I was seen at a gender clinic, and it wasn't easy. I got verbal abuse and glass bottles, rocks and bricks thrown at me from passing cars several times. Twice, I had to run for my life away from gangs of angry lads. But my transition has been beautiful in many ways: My body has changed, which has been a joy. My skin is much softer and I'd swear my sense of smell has improved. And back at the start of it, I couldn't have predicted what my next journey would be. In my mid 30s, I started to notice a slight propensity to pee more, then a strange little tingle in my left leg. I went to the doctors a few times but was passed around. I had scans on my legs, was checked for different infectious diseases, hernias and musculoskeletal disorders, and eventually my case was passed to the neurology service. When I finally got a diagnosis of MS (a neurological condition affecting the brain and spinal cord) in 2022 aged 37, it was almost a relief. I felt validated. MS isn't curable, but it is treatable – in my case with a disease modifying therapy called ocrelizumab. And because I'd already gone through such a big change in my life 10 years before, I knew what to expect. I have a type called primary progressive (PPMS), which means my symptoms get worse over time. It has severely impacted my ability to walk and I'm now a full-time wheelchair user, but I'm still able to take a few steps and transfer in and out of my chair. To an extent, it's made it more difficult to participate in the LGBTQ+ community, as a lot of it revolves around drinking, which I now can't do. Even if I wanted to go to bars and not drink, they're often not wheelchair accessible. But being disabled and trans has brought so many positives to my life. It has deepened my relationships – I've learned more about empathy and solidarity than I ever thought I would and my nearest and dearest demonstrate them to me every day. I've always loved to cook but I can't stay on my feet while kneading, frying or chopping so one of my partners will do that while I keep an eye on the hob and the recipe. Listen to Ashleigh's podcast series about living with MS, 'A life of the progressive side', here. My other partner gives me daily knee and ankle massages as these are my most affected areas. It helps to prevent leg spasms that would otherwise keep me awake. I think about intersectionality a lot. A trans person in a wheelchair may have a very different experience of interacting with the NHS or the police if they have darker skin, for example. I host a podcast called What the Trans, which calls out misinformation in the media and offers people empowering tools to take action. More Trending I also recently hosted a podcast series for the MS Society about living with PPMS. It was validating to hear stories of people with PPMS as we only make up 10-15% of everyone with the condition. Again I thought, 'Thank god for that, I'm not the only one'. It was also interesting to hear how vastly different MS can be for everyone; I talked to people whose symptoms were radically different from mine, like someone whose MS began in their vision, rather than in their legs. In the podcast, you can also hear a conversation between me and Dr Cora Sargeant who is also trans, and has MS and a podcast! What are the chances? View More » I don't know exactly how the rest of my life will look but I remind myself that the one constant in the universe is change. Pride and Joy is a series spotlighting the first-person positive, affirming and joyful stories of transgender, non-binary, gender fluid and gender non-conforming people. Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing MORE: I didn't know why I was uncontrollably sobbing – then came the diagnosis MORE: I was 11 when my parents were told to plan my funeral MORE: My date proudly showed his bedroom – and who he slept next to
