This year I turn 45 years old, and I pinch myself each day knowing that each day I get to wake up and do a job that I love, and that I get to work with some incredible people. In 2009, I was nearly 6 stone overweight after suffering with postnatal anxiety. A hugely traumatic experience, during the birth of my son, where we both nearly died, had meant that as a young mum, I had not dealt with the trauma and drama of all that, which then presented itself as unrecognised post-natal anxiety and depression for too many years. Unhappy, unhealthy and miserable – after a chat with my chiropractor, I decided that I really needed to do something.
After trying all fad diets under the sun, he convinced me to look at moving my body more, eating mostly unprocessed foods and to look at my sleep quality (which was shocking!).
I did. Without support, without much guidance – I researched the healthiest way to lose fat, long term and how to exercise correctly. The weight came off slowly over 12months – and by the end of 2010, I’d lost nearly 6 stone – and more importantly, fallen IN LOVE with exercising and nourishing my body rather than harming it with all that nonsense processed food I’d been eating for so long – to comfort, to soothe and to forget…
Exercise, along with discovering the law of attraction, literally cured my postnatal anxiety – I felt stronger, mentally and physically, and more importantly, emotionally. I knew that other women needed support in doing what I had done, and so I went about qualifying in every health and fitness profession I could access.
The last 13 years I had spent as a presenter on shopping TV was about to change dramatically! I jumped from the TV shopping cart to the gym floor! And it was THE best decision I have ever made.
Apart from supporting my own health and recovery, with breast cancer scares and a few other health complications over the years, I’m proud to have supported both women and men from all walks of life in transforming their health and fitness for the better over the years. I’m also delighted that my TV presenting career didn’t end at TV shopping – but that I’ve been able to combine my absolute passion for helping others realise their full health potential with my role as Fitness Expert for S4C’s FFIT Cymru. And long may I get the opportunity to continue this!
My passion and mission to help as many people as I can continues, through my company LiveFIT Wales Cymru, and through my new venture, Newid Byd/Life Changer, which I hope will be a game changer for companies throughout Wales and the whole of the UK in their responsibility towards their staff’s health and wellbeing. The next 5 years looks very, very exciting.
I’m Mum to an almost 20 year old son, wife to an RLNI crew volunteer, and dog mum to an Irish Doodle. I’m a fluent Welsh speaker and we live near the coast in South Wales. I’ve been so very fortunate during my life so far to be able to do work that I love, with people who have inspired me, and who I’ve learnt so much from, and still continue to! I can’t wait to see who and what the next 5 years will bring.
#lovethelifeyoulive #brafbywbywyd