'My family think I'm crazy': Hampshire woman's life transformed by exercise
The mother of two from Hedge End had been overweight for as long as she could remember, and having suffered from slapped cheek, which had affected her joints, exercise had been difficult.
Like so many of us making New Year resolutions, she decided last January that she needed to try something new and that that thing was running.
“I’d always watched the London Marathon and wished that I could do something like that, but I never thought I’d even be able to run to the end of my road,” says the 42-year-old.
She decided on a whim to join a Couch to 5K group in Eastleigh, securing her place just half an hour before the class began. “In week one, I thought I was going to collapse after the warm up!” she remembers.
“I was really unfit. I was about 15 stone. I’d been a size 24 for as long as I could remember, and I’d put on more weight with the slapped cheek virus.”
But Sarah wasn’t put off by finding it hard work.
“Right from the start, I enjoyed the feeling afterwards of what I’d achieved. As soon as I’d finished I was on a high.”
And she stuck with it, with her fitness levels improving week on week. And just two months later, she completed her first 5K run.
“I never thought I’d be able to finish and I was over the moon that I’d done it,” she says.
“Then, a couple of weeks later, we ran the Eastleigh 10K. Cliff, who runs the Couch to 5K course, convinced us that we could run that distance, so we actually ran it while we were on the course.
“I did a couple of 10k runs over the summer, then decided to enter the Great South Run, which is ten miles. I ran the whole way, and my time was really good. The year before, I could probably have walked five miles on a good day, but only if I’d taken it very easy.
“I’m going to do the Southampton Marathon in April, so that will be 13 miles. I’m a bit nervous, but I think I can do it.
“I would love to do the London Marathon. I’m sure the atmosphere is amazing. I’m not sure if I’ve got 26 miles in me, but who knows if I might try for that next year.”
Sarah has taken huge leaps in her fitness levels over the last year, and no one is more surprised than her.
“It’s insane to hear me talking about the possibility of taking part in the London Marathon. It’s like a different person is talking. I struggled so much with my size and mobility before I started running.
“I’m a size 12 now, and I’m still not completely where I want to be with my fitness, but running has really helped.”
Sarah has continued to run with the group, which she says helps keep her motivated and getting out, whatever the weather.
“Having people expecting you to turn out really helps you to get yourself out, especially in the winter when it’s cold, or when it’s really hot in the summer. I know I’ve got others relying on me and they’ve become my friends.
“Now, it’s just normal that Wednesday night is running night. I really don’t like it if I have to miss it for any reason.
“And now I actually enjoy the running, as well as the feeling after. I think it’s probably because my fitness levels are so much better.”
And taking up running has benefited Sarah in other areas of her life as well.
She has more energy, is more willing to take on new challenges and is now socialising more.
“I used to come home, have dinner and do nothing. Now I’m constantly on the go. There’s always something else to do.
“I have got back into Scouting now too. I used to be a Guide and now I’m an assistant Scout leader. I never thought I’d go back, as my confidence was so low.
“I don’t want to sit around anymore. I have to get up and do something, even if it’s going for a walk,” she says.
Sarah has also completely changed her career. Until recently she was an attendance officer in a school, but now she is a Slimming World consultant.