What an incredible turnaround! Are you glad you came to running when you did?

I think that I came into running at exactly the right time. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and running came to me in my early 30s because it was the right time for it to come into my life. I have this childlike joy for running now that I think I might have lost had I been running since childhood.

It’s almost like I’m entering my teens as a runner, even though I’m 45; I’m still intrigued, still excited, still finding out new things about myself. And I love the challenge of running. I love that I’m in charge – no one gets to tell me what to do. No one gets to kick me out.

What’s the best thing that running has given you?

The main thing I’ve gained from running – especially in the latter years – has been community. I co-founded Black Trail Runners, organise races and am involved with various other projects and groups, and I’ve found that running brings so many different people together from all kinds of backgrounds. The uniting force is that all of us find joy in movement, no matter how fast or slow that might be. I’ve seen such a transformation in myself and others by having running as a key part of their lives.

Being in the outdoors, seeing the views and new places – that’s also amazing. I just feel that I’m such a braver woman; I’m a more secure and confident woman because I know that my body can take me from one place to the other in a way that is safe and joyful. Running has given me a sense of freedom that I never had before.

3 women who took up running for the first time in their 30s – and went on to run marathons around the world