MY CHALLENGE
MY JOURNEY
From fitness instructor to first-time half marathon runner — rebuilding confidence, overcoming anxiety and discovering what my 52-year-old body is capable of.
Andrea Stokes
ATHLETE, RUNNER, PROOF THAT IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO BEGIN
MY STORY
So, where did my fitness journey begin?
Well… not on a running track, that’s for sure!
In my mid-20s, I trained as a fitness instructor at Cardiff Institute of Sport, and I absolutely loved it. Helping people get fit, stay fit and feel good was everything to me.
At one point, I was teaching more than nine classes a week, running a hair salon, raising three children and somehow convincing myself that I had endless energy.
Life was good… until it wasn’t.
Looking back, I was asking far too much of my body, especially once hormones decided to join the party and completely ignore the guest list.
At 38, happily married with three children, I was suddenly hit with crippling anxiety. I would wake up at four or five in the morning with my heart rate at 165, my blood sugars dropping because I was not fuelling properly, and my whole body trembling after every session.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE
LEARNING TO TRUST MY BODY AGAIN
The hardest part was not rebuilding my fitness. It was learning that an elevated heart rate did not automatically mean something was wrong.
During the Three Peaks Challenge, I ignored warning signs while climbing Ben Nevis. I became dizzy, my heart was racing and I had completely lost my colour. Although I reached the summit, I could not complete Scafell Pike.
At the time, it felt like failure.
That experience stayed with me. Whenever my breathing became heavy or my heart rate climbed, anxiety took over. I needed to rebuild confidence in my body before I could begin challenging it again.
Exercise had always been something I loved. It made me feel strong, confident and completely myself.
Then, almost overnight, it became something I feared.
Every time my heart rate climbed, I worried something was wrong. Every shaky feeling after a session knocked my confidence a little more. I went from being the person encouraging everyone else to push themselves, to feeling as though I could no longer trust my own body.
So… I stopped.
Everything.
“I’ll just have a little break,” I told myself.
Turns out my “little break” lasted a few years!
The longer I stayed away from exercise, the harder it felt to go back. I still loved fitness, and I still wanted to feel strong, but the confidence I once had seemed to belong to a completely different version of me.
Deep down, though, I knew I did not want that to be the end of my story.
THE CHALLENGES I AM MOST PROUD OF
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SWANSEA HALF MARATHON
I did not fully commit to running the Swansea Half Marathon until the final week.
I was frightened of repeating my Three Peaks experience. This time, however, I had trained consistently, completed the long runs and had the support of SPC behind me.
Race morning was full of nerves. I kept telling myself that I was “just going for a run,” although my body clearly was not convinced.
Then the race began—and I absolutely loved it.
At one point, I was skipping and singing to myself, which probably explains why I was not breaking any speed records.
As I ran, I kept thinking about how grateful I was that I had walked through the door on that cold January evening.
Crossing the finish line was an incredible moment. I was proud to complete the distance and proud of my time—but I was not thinking, “Never again.”
I was thinking:
“Right then… how much faster can I do that?”
WHAT COMES NEXT?
KEEP SHOWING UP
My next goals are simple:
KEEP MY CONSISTENCY
Continue building fitness without losing the enjoyment that brought me this far.
TRUST MY BODY
Stop being frightened of my heart rate and become more confident when training becomes challenging.
LEARN TO FUEL PROPERLY
Give my body the energy it needs to train, recover and perform.
RUN FASTER
Return to the Swansea Half Marathon next year and see how much I have improved.
TRY SOMETHING NEW
The Worcester 10K is already booked—and there may even be a triathlon in my future. 👀
ENJOY THE COMMUNITY
Keep attending SPC sessions and club runs, because the people have become one of the best parts of the journey.
THE LESSON I HAVE LEARNT
The hardest step was not completing my first run.
It was taking that first step through the door.
Walking into SPC gave me the structure, support and confidence to begin again. Now, instead of wondering whether my body can cope, I am asking how much further it can take me.
The SPC door is wide open.
To be continued…