Unshrinkable midlife moves - Movement, meaning + midlife magic

Send us Fan Mail In this season finale, I'm pulling together the highlights and hard-won lessons from twelve conversations with women who broke records, ran ultras, completed an Ironman at 51, took up roller skating, learned to skateboard at 40, and rebuilt confidence after illness, all while navigating the very real demands of midlife. What I found wasn't about peak performance or turni...

Send us Fan Mail  Donna McConnell came to cycling late. To triathlon late. To the version of herself that would complete an Ironman, late. And she'll be the first to tell you that none of that was a disadvantage.  She found her tribe in her 50s. Completed an Ironman. Ran the London Marathon. And came back from all of it not just fitter,but fundamentally different. Bolder. Clearer. Less willin...

Send us Fan Mail She Thought She'd Peaked at 16. Then She Broke a National Record at 48. Most of us quietly accept that our best athletic years are behind us. Emily accepted it too for about thirty years. Then she didn't. Emily came to triple jump the way nobody comes to triple jump as a 46-year-old with zero experience, a decades-old gymnastics background, and a competitive streak she&a...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a 52 year old woman with a hidden disability rediscovers roller skating after more than 35 years away from it? In this powerful and intriguing conversation, Fiona shares how roller skating became far more than a hobby. After years of chronic foot issues, surgery and limited movement, skating helped her reconnect with freedom, confidence, community and herself. Fr...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Unshrinkable Midlife Moves, I’m joined by therapeutic ski coach  and instructor, Sarah Gilbertson to explore what it really means to start or return to skiing in midlife. From skiing after 40 and rebuilding confidence on the slopes, to navigating fear, fitness, injury and menopause, Sarah shares how you can become confident and why midlife women deserve to take...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when the woman who once completed Ironmans suddenly no longer recognises herself?  In this open, honest and inspiring episode, physiotherapist Charlotte Barton shares her journey of menopause, injury, weight gain and rebuilding her confidence through movement, strength training and Hyrox. From Ironman racing to pelvic health, muscle, longevity and the realities of sta...

Send us Fan Mail "Sometimes I can't even run to the start line, now 50 miles is normal." What happens when a woman who once preferred sitting indoors in the dark becomes someone who runs through storms, mud, and 15-hour races—sometimes barely able to see? In this raw and unexpectedly funny episode, Lornette Valentine shares how a post lockdown moment, a treadmill fall, and a quiet d...

Send us Fan Mail What if the thing that scares you most is the very thing that brings you back to life? In this episode, Milly Manley shares how, at 40, she stepped into something she never thought was for her, skateboarding and found far more than just a new hobby. From panic and self-doubt, to freedom, joy, and unexpected sisterhood, this is a story about stepping out of your old identity and cr...

Send us Fan Mail Debbie didn’t find cheerleading at 16. She found it at 38. And it changed everything. In this episode, Debbie Barry, law firm office manager by day, Masters cheer captain by night, shares how saying “I’ll give it a go” on a girls’ holiday led her to a sisterhood, a stage, and a version of herself she didn’t even know existed. What started as one Wednesday night training session, t...

Send us Fan Mail What if the nerves you feel before something big aren’t weakness, but a sign that you’re ready?  In this episode, army doctor, GP and world champion skydiver, Anna Lea shares what it takes to compete at world championship level in your forties and why midlife is an advantage, not a liability.  This conversation isn’t just about adrenaline. It’s about what happens when ordinary wom...

Send us Fan Mail Virginia Anderson didn't see it coming. None of it. She's 55 and two years ago she did something on a whim that she thought would be just another activity to add to the list. It wasn't.  What followed was unexpected, a little expensive, and in her own words, completely worth it. We talk about what it feels like to go from beginner to coach, to finally be in a room w...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to completely transform your relationship with your body and then dedicate your life to helping others do the same? In this episode, I sit down with Sarah Aarons, group fitness specialist and founder of Sarah's Alternative Fitness in Crystal Palace, London. Sarah's journey into fitness didn't begin in a gym or a sports hall, it began with grief. An...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when something finds you — exactly when you need it most? Sooraya Walker is a 46 year old mum of two. Two years ago, she spotted a poster on her way out of her children' gymnastics class. A free women's kickboxing session. That same evening. She went and hasn't stopped going since. Now she trains weekly under a former European Champion and her instructo...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is a reflection on the powerful and inspiring women and lessons that have shaped season one. In this first season you’ve heard from women in their 40s, 50s and 60s who have changed their lives through movement, from first 5Ks to first Hyrox races, from learning to swim to triathlons and training after cancer, surgery and burnout. In this episode, we revisit the moment...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a busy mum of four decides to pursue her decades long dream of competitive bodybuilding in secret? Meet Vusi Edeki, a public health professional who, competes in bikini bodybuilding, loves a challenge and is redefining what's possible in midlife. In this conversation, Vusi shares her unconventional path from struggling with body image as a child to stepping...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you refuse to be invisible, especially as a midlife woman?  At 49, Tasha has run 9 marathons, completed a grueling 100 kilometer ultra run, and built Black Girls Do Run UK, a thriving community of 200 women who are rewriting the rules of who belongs on the starting line. Tasha shares her running journey from treadmill to the 100k, building a community from a weir...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a fun runner decides the next challenge isn't about pushing harder, but about being gentler? Casey Stewart Smith ran two London Marathons. Then perimenopause hit, and running became too much. So she made a radical choice to train for something that was more gentle on her body. She signed up to swim two miles in the Serpentine despite only ever swimming recre...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when your body forces you to stop? Desna McKenzie shares her  journey from 5 Am workouts and long commutes to complete adrenal burnout and the difficult path back to wellness, that required completely reimagining her relationship with exercise. In this reflective conversation, Desna shares her lifelong relationship with movement, from lifting weights in her youth, dis...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a woman in midlife sees a post for a Hybrid Race on Instagram and thinks, "I could do that", despite never having trained that way before? Meet Szidy. She went from home workouts with a few dumbbells to completing six hybrid fitness races in one year. This isn’t a story about being naturally athletic, it’s about signing up before you’re ready, learning...

Send us Fan Mail At 60, Ruth Gledhill was fighting for her life in intensive care, overweight and sedentary after years behind a desk. Five years later, she's standing on World Championship podiums, breaking Age Group World Records and representing Great Britain in the triathlon. This isn't a story about being naturally athletic or having endless time. Ruth openly shares her challenges,...

Send us Fan Mail What do you do when you've been so many things to so many people that you've forgotten who you actually are? After experiencing postnatal depression in 2007, Judean Lowe's GP suggested what would be a life changing alternative to medication that became a decade-long journey of rediscovery, injury, burnout, and adult gymnastics with her brother. This conversation is...

Send us Fan Mail When sport disappears from your life and is replaced by a career, raising two boys, how do you rediscover your athletic identity and compete again? We talk to Andrea Djan-Krofa about how she did just that.  Andrea also shares  how to do hard things when you don't feel ready, the impact of multi-generational strength, what we're unconsciously teaching our children when we...

Send us Fan Mail Meet World Masters Champion Jodie Albrow, a lifelong athlete whose relationship with athletics began at just 11 years old and has spanned more than 30 years. From being spotted by a PE teacher to competing as a multi-event athlete, navigating injury, chronic fatigue and motherhood whilst representing GB as a Masters athlete, Jodie's story is one of resilience, determination,...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we dive into an inspiring midlife story that goes far deeper than weight loss. After years of trying every diet, every restart, and every quick fix, today’s guest, Ayisha Ajikobi found herself weighing 106kg, frustrated, exhausted, and wondering, “Why can’t I stay consistent anymore?” Instead of giving up, she decided to start building her strength and fitness. Yo...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever felt like you’re starting too late or that movement simply isn’t for you, this episode is an encouraging reminder that it’s never too late to reconnect with your body or discover what makes you feel strong, grounded, and alive again. In this conversation, Emma shares her journey of discovering movement that she enjoys and building confidence at a stage of life where...