Name: Sue Wright

From: Sevenoaks

How long have you been collecting? Since August 2012

How many pins do you own? 93

2012 is the year I became a COW PAT!

Let me explain......

COW = childless orphaned widow.
PAT = pin addicted twin.

My COW status originated in 1975 on deciding to forfeit having children after discovering my husband was at risk for Huntington's Disease, the fatal hereditary brain disease that finally claimed his life in 2006, and was confirmed in April 2012 with the death of my mother having already lost my father in 1975. The whole process took over 35 years.

My PAT status originated on my birthday, 29th August 2012 when my identical twin and I attended the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympics dressed identically for the first time in decades. Our appearance attracted attention from the moment we left our hotel room wearing full length black & white dresses topped with large Paralympic scarves held together with my first Olympic/Paralympic pins. We had the good fortune to attend five days of Paralympic sport, always dressed identically, and the Heroes Parade where our over-the-top patriotic outfits also attracted considerable attention and even several requests to be photographed. During this period and since, I've developed a compulsion to collect pins thereby becoming a PAT. The whole process took less than 35 days!

Becoming a COW PAT has given my life new meaning and purpose, enabled me to learn a huge amount more about the Olympics and Paralympics, and introduced me to numerous inspirational and wonderfully generous people I would never otherwise have encountered.

My favourite pin story therefore has to the one of becoming a COW PAT in London in 2012.