Cancer survivor, 51, who drinks six cups of herbal tea a day to stay looking young says she is as 'hot' as models half her age

Sue Leeming overhauled her unhealthy lifestyle after battling breast cancer
The 51-year-old credits her meat and dairy free diet for her youthful good looks
She enters swimsuit pageants and beat models half her age in a competition
The businesswoman said people accuse her of lying when she reveals her age

Published: 12:02 GMT, 9 March 2017 | Updated: 12:11 GMT, 13 March 2017

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A cancer survivor who flaunts her toned figure in swimwear competitions claims she looks as 'hot' as models half her age.

Beauty queen Sue Leeming said people usually assume she is in her 30s and often think she is lying when she reveals she is 51.

The businesswoman, who wears a size eight, ditched her unhealthy lifestyle after being diagnosed with breast cancer and said the secret to her youthful good looks is her meat and dairy-free diet - and six cups of herbal tea a day.

She said: ''People say I look 35 to 43, but it's getting younger. In the pageant, the models on the beach and in the changing room would say, "I just can't believe your age". I had a body just as hot as them and they're half my age.'

Flaunting her figure: Sue Leeming takes parts in swimsuit competitions alongside women half her age. The 51-year-old said people think she is lying when she reveals she's not in her 30s

Beach beauty: Sue looks just as youthful as she did while sunbathing in Greece aged 21

She continued: 'I never dreamed I would live as long as this, let alone look like I do at 51. If you had said to me that I would be running along a beach wearing a Baywatch swimsuit when I was 50 I never would have believed you.'

Salon owner Ms Leeming revealed she is often mistaken for her 23-year-old nephew's girlfriend and said people even ask to see her birth certificate as proof when she tells them her age.

She added: 'Last year, when I was going on a cruise for my 50th, I told clients I was going away for my special birthday and they would ask if it's my 40th.'

Sue follows a strict diet and beauty regime to maintain her looks.

'I walk every day and I meditate and drink lots of herbal teas,' she said. 'My diet is set in stone and I've cut down my sugar levels. I don't touch fizzy drinks, alcopops or spirits any more, though I do let myself have a glass of red wine.'

She has also cut out dairy and meat and eats up to eight portions of veg a day.

Keeping fit: The youthful salon owner overhauled her diet and said her body 'is her temple'

Glamorous: Businesswoman Sue said she 'never dreamed' she would look as she does aged 51

Shocking: Ms Leeming said people want to see her birth certificate when she reveals her age

However she has not always been so healthy. Sue described how she spent her younger years drinking every night and working gruelling 12-hour shifts.

In 2007, Sue found herself relying on a walking stick after the stress of a divorce and losing her home gave her back problems.

The following year she was given the devastating news that she was suffering from aggressive breast cancer and given four years to live.

But she defied the odds and went into remission in March 2009. Motivated by her recovery, Sue decided to overhaul every aspect of her lifestyle.

Confidence boost: Ms Leeming said she is flattered when she is mistaken for her 23-year-old nephew's girlfriend. Pictured, Sue, centre, with nephew James, left

Beauty regime: Ms Leeming is always careful to moisturise to keep her skin looking good

'I've cut out so much to look and feel as good as I do now,' she said. 'My oncologist calls me a shining light and says I'm the most inspirational woman he's ever met.

'People are amazed at my determination. I never even dreamed I would survive a year, let alone come this far. I feel healthier than I've ever been. '

She added: 'Before, I was high on adrenaline, stress and hormones. I worked 12 hour days and didn't stop - I didn't sit down or go to the loo.

'My diet was OK as I lived in the Mediterranean but I was having three or four vodkas every night and had a mental pace of life.

Ageless: Photos of Sue on holiday aged 24 show she looks just the same as she did in 1990

Fresh-faced: Ms Leeming looks just as she did when she posed with her nephew in 1995

Healthy diet: Sue, left in India aged 29 and right in China aged 30, has cut down on sugar

'I was hyper hyper hyper - I lived on cloud nine and did everything at 100 mph. Having cancer has made me the most chilled out person in the world,' she added.

'I've come this far, I'm 51 and I'm so fit and healthy. I want to share my story because I want to be an inspiration.'

Sue, who opened her own eco salon, FresHair in Norwich, is now training as a life coach and hopes to inspire more cancer sufferers.

She won the Model of the Year award at glamour model Kerri Parker's pageant last summer. She now hopes to model at the Breast Cancer Care London Fashion Show in September.