Former BBC Breakfast host Louise Minchin has spoken exclusively to HELLO! about her incredible fitness journey after sustaining an excruciating injury which left her "immobile".
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The 54-year-old injured herself during training for the "epic extreme triathlon Norseman" in the summer of 2019. Fast forward to the present day, and Louise is well on the road to recovery with an end goal of participating in next year's London Marathon.
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Discussing her goal, the presenter revealed: "I had an operation about 12 weeks ago; goals are really important because they give you something to aim for… but you don't necessarily have to get there. The journey is equally as important. Given that I can only run at two minutes in one go at the moment, the aim is to do the London Marathon in April."
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The committed triathlete is renowned for her steadfast resilience. Back in 2018, the mother-of-two took part in Chile's Patagonman. The extreme triathlon saw Louise swimming 3.8km and cycling 108km before then finishing with a marathon – an extraordinary feat in itself.
© Photo: Getty ImagesLouise has a passion for endurance sports
Reminiscing about her lowest point in the 16-hour race, Louise said: "I was deep into the cycle ride, maybe 11 hours into racing, and my husband and I had messed up where our meeting point was. It wasn't where I thought it was, it was quite a long way beyond but I was in a world of pain.
"Eventually after what seemed like eternal hours, I saw these little fluorescent jackets at the top of the hill, and I saw my husband and I started hysterically crying like a proper baby."
"Everyone rushed over because they thought I was really unwell, and my husband rushed over and said 'Don't worry she's fine, she just needs a cup of tea and some chocolate,' and I was fine."
© Photo: InstagramThe 54-year-old hosted BBC Breakfast alongside Dan Walker
Since tackling her first triathlon at the age of 45, Louise has noticed a plethora of mental and physical health benefits. "Physically I'm much stronger than I was ten years ago. It sounds silly but it makes a difference every day in my life.
"If I'm running for a bus, I'm going to run faster. I also do lots of travelling so when I'm carrying my suitcases and somebody offers to help, I say 'No no, this is why I go to the gym,'" she explained.
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"Every single time I go for a swim or bike ride, I'm in my happy place. I'm not thinking about whatever issues are going on. I'm just focusing on that thing."
"It makes me more relaxed and less anxious," Louise added.
© Photo: InstagramLouise is training for the London Marathon
The TV presenter has spoken passionately about how over 50s can stay fit and healthy later on in life.
"I've been a member of David Lloyd Clubs for over five years now and I think it's incredibly important to keep moving and to keep strong for my future health," she said.
"For us over 50s, if we can invest in ourselves, invest in our bodies and how we feel then that’s absolutely brilliant. Find what is your 'fun' and surround yourself with people who will encourage you in that. The best person is someone who will go with you and exercise alongside you."
TV Broadcaster Louise Minchin has teamed up with David Lloyd Clubs to inspire the nation's over 50s to go after whatever goal they set and show that age has no limits when it comes to fitness. To view more information on David Lloyd Clubs' classes and experiences on offer, please visit: https://www.davidlloyd.co.uk.
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