Borrowed Bikes to Ironman - Hills, Second Chapters and Refusing to Wait with Donna McConnell

Borrowed Bikes to Ironman - Hills, Second Chapters and Refusing to Wait with Donna McConnell

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2553295/fan_mail/new]  Donna McConnell came to cycling late. To triathlon late. To the version of herself that would complete an Ironman, late. And she'll be the first to tell you that none of that was a disadvantage.  She found her tribe in her 50s. Completed an Ironman. Ran the London Marathon. And came back from all of it not just fitter,but fundamentally different. Bolder. Clearer. Less willing to accept the ceiling she'd quietly been living under. At 57 she's still racing, still building, and completely uninterested in the idea that this is the age you start winding down. In this conversation Donna talks about the mental game behind endurance sport, what 500 miles through the Scottish Highlands does to your relationship with fear, and why perimenopause and peak performance aren't the opposites the fitness world would have you believe. In this episode you'll discover: * Why visualising enjoying a race, not just finishing it changes everything about how you show up * What 500 miles through the Scottish Highlands taught her about fear that years of training couldn't * How completing an Ironman changed what she thought she deserved in sport and in life * Why perimenopause and peak athletic performance aren't opposites and why the timing of her Ironman mattered more than she expected * What women over 40 are doing in elite endurance sport that nobody's talking about enough This is a conversation for anyone who has ever wondered whether they've left it too late, set the ceiling too low, or talked themselves out of something before they even started. Connect with Donna: @the_ironempress [https://www.instagram.com/the_ironempress/] Follow us on Instagram: @unshrinkablemidlifemoves  [https://www.instagram.com/unshrinkablemidlifemoves] The Grit and Grace Games — 12th September 2026, Crystal Palace National SPorts Centre, London. www.gritandgracegames.com [https://www.gritandgracegames.com/]

From Cheering to Competing - Triple Jump, Breaking Records and Backing Yourself at 48 with Emily Murray

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2553295/fan_mail/new] She Thought She'd Peaked at 16. Then She Broke a National Record at 48. Most of us quietly accept that our best athletic years are behind us. Emily accepted it too for about thirty years. Then she didn't. Emily came to triple jump the way nobody comes to triple jump as a 46-year-old with zero experience, a decades-old gymnastics background, and a competitive streak she'd been accidentally unleashing on the wrong areas of her life. Within two years she'd broken the Scottish national record and competed at European Championships. But this conversation goes deeper than athletics. In this episode you'll learn: * Why masters athletics might be the best kept secret in midlife fitness * Why sprinting, not marathons could be the most powerful thing women over 40 can do for their bodies * How to find a coach who knows the difference between pushing an older athlete and breaking one * What really happens when you stop being the supporter of everyone else's ambitions and start pursuing your own * Why the guilt of going after something for yourself is worth pushing through We also get into what it does to a teenage boy when his mum walks out onto a world class stage and competes. And the question that sits underneath all of it, what are we actually capable of, and have we ever really tested it? If you've ever suspected there's a version of yourself you haven't met yet, this episode is for you. Connect with Emily: @pinkhouseliving  Follow us on Instagram: @unshrinkablemidlifemoves  The Grit and Grace Games — 12th September 2026, Crystal Palace, London. www.gritandgracegames.com

When Movement Changes - Navigating Menopause, Hidden Disability and Movement Differently With Fiona

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2553295/fan_mail/new] What happens when a 52 year old woman with a hidden disability rediscovers roller skating after more than 35 years away from it? In this powerful and intriguing conversation, Fiona shares how roller skating became far more than a hobby. After years of chronic foot issues, surgery and limited movement, skating helped her reconnect with freedom, confidence, community and herself. From skating through South London parks to learning alongside younger skaters, Fiona opens up about navigating movement with an invisible disability, the realities of menopause, fear, identity, ageing and what it means to find the thng that makes you come alive.. This episode explores: * Returning to roller skating again in your 50s * Living and moving with a hidden disability * Menopause, confidence and identity shifts * Finding spaces where you can fully be yourself * How skating became both escape and empowerment  Honest, funny, raw and uplifting, Fiona shares a side of midlife movement that rarely gets talked about, one built around resilience, adaptation, joy, music, community and finding new ways to feel alive again.

Back On The Mountain - Finding Your Joy On The Slopes With Sarah Gilbertson

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2553295/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Unshrinkable Midlife Moves, I’m joined by therapeutic ski coach  and instructor, Sarah Gilbertson to explore what it really means to start or return to skiing in midlife. From skiing after 40 and rebuilding confidence on the slopes, to navigating fear, fitness, injury and menopause, Sarah shares how you can become confident and why midlife women deserve to take up space on the slopes. In this episode you'll learn: *  why skiing can feel different in midlife  *  about the role of the nervous system when skiing *  the stereotypes women face in skiing after 40 and how to tackle it *  how fitness, balance and strength can transform your skiing experience  *  the importance finding the right people to ski with  Whether you ski, dream of learning, or simply want inspiration to reconnect with movement and challenge yourself again, this episode is filled with insight, and encouragement. This conversation is for you. Find out more about Sarah at www.flourishwell.coach [https://www.flourishwell.coach/] Follow the podcast on Instagram:  @unshrinkablemidlfemoves [https://www.instagram.com/unshrinkablemidlifemoves/] Find out more about Onika on Instagram: @lifeopenedup [https://www.instagram.com/lifeopenedup]

Movement, Strength and Mounjaro - A Midlife Reset With Charlotte Barton

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2553295/fan_mail/new] What happens when the woman who once completed Ironmans suddenly no longer recognises herself?  In this open, honest and inspiring episode, physiotherapist Charlotte Barton shares her journey of menopause, injury, weight gain and rebuilding her confidence through movement, strength training and Hyrox. From Ironman racing to pelvic health, muscle, longevity and the realities of starting again in your 50s, Charlotte combines expert insight with lived experience in a conversation that will challenge the way you think about ageing. In this episode, you’ll learn: * The truth about muscle, menopause and longevity * Simple ways to reduce injury risk as we move and age * Why recovery, mobility and pelvic floor health matter more in midlife * Charlotte’s  experience using Mounjaro as part of her lifestyle change Whether you’re starting again, rebuilding after a setback, or simply looking for inspiration to move your body differently, this conversation will leave you feeling empowered to rethink what’s possible in midlife.  Visit Charlotte's Website www.thelionclinic.com [https://www.thelionclinic.com/] Follow Charlotte on Instagram at  menopausephysio.triroxmum [https://www.instagram.com/menopause.vetphysio.triroxmum] Follow the podcast on Instagram:  @unshrinkablemidlfemoves [https://www.instagram.com/unshrinkablemidlifemoves/] Find out more about Onika on Instagram: @lifeopenedup [https://www.instagram.com/lifeopenedup]