As she celebrates cancer all-clear jacquie beltrao how a mystical moment in brazil inspired her to live life to the full

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW AND PHOTOS

I t was the most awe-inspiring, spiritual moment of Jacquie Beltrao’s life. As Brazil’s mighty Iguazu Falls – one of the largest waterfalls in the world – thundered down around her, she had never felt more at peace.

“When my husband Eduardo and I stepped out to watch the sun rise over the falls, it felt as though we were the only people on earth,” the Sky News sports presenter exclusively tells HELLO!. “All the water cascading around us was incredibly mesmerising and these fragile exotic butterflies were fluttering past in the spray.

“The sheer size and power of the waterfall made me feel like a tiny speck on the face of the planet – and overwhelmingly calm.

“After what I’d been through, it put everything into perspective,” continues Jacquie, who turns 58 this week and has just been given the all-clear from breast cancer, a decade after being diagnosed.

“Standing within this force of nature blew my mind. It made me realise that this incredible place, which has existed since time began, will carry on long after we’ve gone. We’re on this earth for a nanosecond in comparison and should grab life while we can.”

Jacquie’s euphoric experience began at the Hotel das Cataratas, set within the tropical oasis of the Iguazu National Park, and was preceded by another spectacular interlude at the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro, where guests over the years have included Brigitte Bardot, Halle Berry, Madonna, Sir Mick Jagger and Diana, Princess of Wales.

“Sipping cocktails by the pool and walking barefoot along the soft sandy beach, I felt like a 1920s Hollywood star,” she says. “Eduardo and I have visited Rio many times – it’s where he was born – but this was one of the best holidays we’ve ever had.”

SPECIAL MOMENTS

The couple were joined by Jacquie’s best friend, NHS breast-screening nurse Joanna Peixoto and her husband Alberto, who was celebrating his 60th birthday at the resort.

“It was wonderful to spend this special time together,” says the mum of Amelia, 25, Tiago, 22, and Jorge, 21. “I always feel incredibly lucky that I’m in the position where I can enjoy my life.”

Indeed, it was a journey that Jacquie once thought she might never be able to make.

“Many people don’t survive even two years after the breast cancer diagnosis I had, so to be alive and thriving is amazing.”

The health-conscious former Olympic gymnast was practising yoga when she first found a lump in her right breast in De