As my finger hovered over the mouse, I hesitated. \u201cAre we really doing this then?\u201d I asked my daughter, Nicola. Smiling, she replied: \u201cLet\u2019s go for it!\u201d And with another click, we\u2019d signed ourselves up for the Margate 5K Race for Life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even signing up was a real milestone for me. When I joined Slimming World with my mum in July 2021, I was a size 22 and had to walk with a stick. By Food Optimising, I\u2019d dropped four dress sizes in a few months, and it gave me the confidence to begin the Body Magic activity support programme<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I started small at first, building in active habits like parking a little further away from the shops and getting off the bus a stop early. To most people it was just walking, but to me, getting my steps in and collecting my Body Magic awards in group was the beginning of a brand-new relationship with exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More for members: Learn how to run in just 10 weeks with our <\/strong>step-by-step training plan<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n During this time, my mum received a letter from Cancer Research UK, who were recruiting volunteers for a blood test trial. She put herself forward and, to our shock, was diagnosed with lung cancer. Suddenly, the Race for Life \u2013 which had started out as a simple activity goal \u2013 had taken on a whole new meaning and I was more motivated than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n