As a record-breaking, Olympic gold medal-winning athlete, Sally Gunnell knows a thing or two about what it takes to be mentally strong to succeed in life.
But, as the 58-year-old reveals to Ateh Jewel in this week’s Second Act podcast, she had to find another level of inner strength when she reached the starting line of the perimenopause in her 40s.
Now a broadcaster, motivational speaker and personal trainer, Sally admits that the changes menopause had on her body took her by surprise.
“It sort of shocked me,” she says. “I’ve been in tune with my body and then all of a I couldn’t run like I used to – in menopause, your strength goes and your muscles get weak. You have to change and adapt completely and have a whole new way of working out. I went through my 40s, and now coming into my 50s, wondering what was going on.”
The record-breaking hurdler, and the only woman to simultaneously hold the Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth titles in the 400m, opens up to Ateh about her tricky personal challenges, life after the track, how motherhood changed her – plus her tips to help others embrace the changes in their bodies.
Taking on life’s hurdles
As she approaches 60, Sally has taken on a new challenge – launching her online fitness programme, Life’s Hurdle, with her middle son Luca, 24.
Aimed at empowering women in midlife to become stronger, fitter and more confident so they can age better, she has drawn on her Olympic mindset to help others.
“In my first act, I was all about how good I could get my body. Now it’s about what I can do to keep strong and mobile and deal with anxiety.”
On the challenges facing women in midlife when it comes to exercise, Sally notes: “I think the biggest roadblock is that some women have never done weights before in their life,” she says, adding that not making time for ourselves is another issue.
“A lot of women have high-level jobs or they’re retired or they’ve got more time, but the thing they’ve all had in common is we’ve always put ourselves last, and it’s now time in their lives to look after themselves.
“They realise the value of what exercise can do in supporting that, not just making them strong physically, but making them strong mentally.”
On her second act, Sally muses: “I very rarely look back. I’m just excited about life now and what the next 10 years will look like. I want to have a really fun, active life as I get older.”
Listen to Sally Gunnell on HELLO!’s Second Act podcast.
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