Heidi John (née Paddy) CO99

Veterinarian

Heidi attended Truro School with her younger brother Frazer Paddy CO02. Her favourite years of school were during the Sixth Form when new students from other schools joined her classes and she particularly enjoyed biology lessons with Dr Colin Blake (TS 1987-2009).

During her time at Truro, Heidi’s headmaster was the late Guy Dodd (TS Headmaster 1993-2001) and Heidi attributes becoming a vet, partly to advice given to her during Sixth Form.

“I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a vet but unfortunately, I did not have the correct predicted grades. Guy Dodd was an inspiration at the time and met with me to discuss my options. His wise counsel helped me to find another university course as a steppingstone to veterinary”.

After leaving Truro School, Heidi took a gap year, waitressing and riding horses, before enrolling at University of Exeter in 2000 to study biochemistry (her ‘stepping-stone’). She graduated with first class honours in 2003 and then went on to study veterinary medicine at Cambridge, realising her dream and graduating in 2008.

Heidi now lives in Somerset, working at a veterinary practice with her husband Brendan who she met in 2007 at Cambridge University Veterinary School and they married in Budock, Falmouth, in 2013. Heidi works alongside three other vets and four admin staff and is responsible for the equine side of the business at Evolution Vets. Brendan, also a vet, specialises in the cattle side of the practice. The pandemic has not significantly affected the way Heidi operates her business.

“Animals still get sick, so fortunately it’s been ‘business as usual’ at Evolution Vets this past year”.

Moving forward Heidi hopes to continue developing the large animal (particularly horse) side of the practice, whilst she and Brendan balance the busy veterinary practice with family life. The couple live in their little cottage in the Quantock Hills with their two daughters Eliza (aged 41/2) and Rowan (aged 2), as well as the family’s lurcher Bluebell. If she has any free time, she enjoys keeping active, riding and running.

Heidi’s parents still live in Falmouth, so she and the family visit regularly. She also keeps in touch with friends from her time at Truro School, Libby Raison (née Snell), Susanna Sawle (née Bones – nicknamed ‘Stan’) CO99 and Tom Sawle CO97.

Advice for anyone considering a career in veterinary:

“Don’t give up and get put off, there is more than one way in”.

Heidi will be entering a new decade this year, celebrating her 40th birthday in August. She had planned to celebrate with a meal booked in her old college- Lucy Cavendish- with friends, however due to the pandemic and uncertainty surrounding government guidelines, they have rescheduled for next year. Instead, this year she plans to spend her birthday in Cornwall with her parents and children and is planning a weekend away with Old Truronians Libby CO99, Stan (Susan) CO99 and their husbands, which due to COVID, they expect may have to be camping!