As a teenager, Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, 36, spent time living on the streets of Newport.
After her father died, she said her family become "completely poverty-stricken", which led to her sleeping rough. She became homeless at the age of 15.
Sabrina then started selling The Big Issue.
Sabrina appears on the front cover of the latest edition of the magazine. Credit: The Big Issue
When she was homeless, Sabrina said she aspired to become a firefighter.
After applying to 30 different fire services, she got a job in South Wales. Now, she is one of the of the most senior firefighters in the UK and a prize-winning academic and author.
