I got married and had children. Years went by and again, I gradually gained weight through lack of exercise. Bringing up children and working full time left little time for anything else. I felt unable to walk into a gym for fear of being stared at or making myself look stupid. It took time and eventually I plucked up the courage to join a gym and found myself a personal trainer who put me through my paces – something I would not have done on my own. I also joined the local ladies rugby team. At the same time, I was training to run my first Bristol half marathon – I have since run several half marathons, including the Bath half and the Great North Run. I still wasn’t eating correctly or getting the results I wanted. I was undoubtedly stronger and fitter but something was missing.

Then, purely by accident, I found kettlebells and I haven’t looked back. I lost 2 stone in the first year of training, lost body fat and gained muscle, improved my posture and my self-esteem. I began to realise that my body was capable of a lot more than I had ever given it credit for. The heavier the weight I managed to swing, press, snatch and squat, the better I felt.