Get inspired: mum rows for cancer...
We are delighted to welcome mother of two, Jo Moseley as a guest blogger to our site. After the death of her mother to cancer she decided to get fit and raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, who had provided her mother with such wonderful treatment. Read her story here:
"I'm proud of you Mum," he said, "' 'cos you're 50 & a bit old but you do still do stuff, like row marathons!"
It's Boxing Day 2014 & my 17 year old son has just wished me a happy 50th birthday. Five days before, on the 1st anniversary of my Mum's death from Lymphoma, I had completed the final part of a huge fundraising challenge for Macmillan Cancer Support with a 4 hour, 26.2 miles or 42,195m (marathon) row on an indoor rower.
'A million metres & a marathon for Macmillan' had become my motto for the last 8 months as I rowed 10,000m (just over 6 miles) every other night after work for 200 days to raise funds and say thank you for the care both my parents had received during their treatment for cancer. With the support of family and friends, we raised an incredible £10,000 with Gift Aid & I'd been reminded of some valuable lessons along the way.
1) We are all braver and stronger than we think:
If anyone had suggested I'd be rowing from Edinburgh to Paris months before my 50th birthday, I would never have believed them. It was as much a surprise to me as my friends, as I had not been in a gym for literally decades previously. However, it was a huge lesson in learning to being brave, setting new goals and believing in myself.
If I can do this, what can you do? Is there something you've always wanted to try but been nervous about? Have a go! Surprise yourself too!
2) In the bleakest of days, your friends - old and new - will be there for you:
It's a cliche, but when you are going through difficult times (divorce, illness, the loss of a loved one or financial challenges) your true friends will reveal themselves. They will be there by your side as you face what lies ahead whilst others quietly disappear. Very often it's our oldest friendships that carry us through, but sometimes it's new friends who also walk the journey with us.
When Mum died and I decided to fundraise for Macmillan Cancer in her memory, it was both old & new friends who kept me going. They baked scrumptious cakes for coffee mornings, stood with me with collection buckets in supermarkets and donated raffle prizes. Strangers I'd met on Twitter became some of my biggest cheerleaders and donated generously. I even met up with a few of them - friends I would never have made otherwise.
Making new friends in later life can seem daunting but it's so worth the new adventures, support & laughter they bring.
3) I fell back in love with being sporty & the joy it brought me
As a little girl, I had been very active - throwing myself into the North Sea waves on holiday, zipping about on my Raleigh Chopper & loving gymnastics. However, like many teenage girls, I didn't enjoy the competitive nature of school sport (I dreaded hockey & netball lessons!) and my confidence levels and interest dropped. I simply decided I wasn't sporty and it remained that way for decades.
I started rowing shortly before Mum died because I couldn't sleep and was waking at 4am every day, which left me tired, stressed and often overwhelmed. Within a couple of weeks, I found I was getting a really good night's rest and felt so much better!
I began to feel stronger, calmer, more confident and simply happier as my rowing challenge went on. I made new friends at the gym and remembered just how much fun sport was. It wasn't about losing weight or being the best, I wasn't competing with anyone else. I simply felt better and am sure it helped me work through the sadness of losing my Mum.
Maybe you decided like me that sport wasn't for you? Why not try something new - you might just find you really enjoy it this time?
Once the fundraising challenge was over, I wanted to build upon the confidence and joy I'd developed and make being 50 an adventure. I changed jobs, took up openwater swimming and started cycling again. I'm also launching an exciting website & community celebrating women over 50 who either already enjoy sport or who would like to, but are unsure where to start. It's about inspiring and encouraging other women looking to pursue new goals, celebrate friendship and lead a healthy & happy life.
As C S Lewis wrote, "You're never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream".
When doing her challenge, Jo featured on the BBC Sport website. See the article here:
