I had put on a lot of weight in recent years. My job as an opera singer at the English National Opera meant I was regularly eating and drinking after shows late at night. It all quickly adds up.
I was trying to play football with my sons one day and, to my shame, realised I just couldn’t run about with them. I was over 19 stone. I knew then something had to be done immediately.
I joined a local gym and underwent a medical which gave such terrible results I immediately embarked on a guided programme of fitness and diet. Friends then encouraged me out of the gym and into a local park to start running.
The first run was hard. After a mile I thought my lungs were going to explode, but I soon saw my fitness improve and that pushed me on. I ran twice a week – work permitting – 5K to start then slowly increasing pace and distance.
My first race was the inaugural Tilgate parkrun in June 2012. I was incredibly nervous beforehand but the atmosphere was fantastic and I had a great time, finishing in 27 minutes. Now, aside from regular parkruns, I’ve done various 10Ks plus two Ealing Half Marathons and the Reading Half.
By now, the weight was dropping off me. But the day my weight meant I was no longer classed as ‘obese’ was a big moment in my weight loss journey. I’ve been lucky and have managed to stay injury-free – so far! On those cold, dark days I haven’t fancied going out, I have gone running with friends to ensure I vary the routine and maintain motivation.
I’m now 13 and a half stone and, for the first time in a long time, I feel fit and healthy. My proudest moment came just recently when my 12-year-old son asked if he could come and run parkrun with me – something I couldn’t have thought of happening just three years ago when I couldn’t even kick a ball about with him!
