I would say that as soon as I was walking, I was running. I was that girl at school who always had an activity on every day after lessons – from running and athletics to ballet – but swimming was my main sport. I was swimming at a high level, so I was swimming twice a day, every day. That was my childhood, and people say I missed out on a lot, especially between the ages of 16 to 18 because I never went out drinking with my friends at the weekend. I was just swimming all the time, but I loved it.
Both my parents were in the police force and really into fitness. They’ve done marathons their whole lives and they’re always up in the mountains, so I guess I’ve followed in their footsteps, although we do joke that my sister [Molly-Mae Hague of Love Island fame] was swapped at birth! I always knew I wanted a fitnessrelated career, so I did think about joining the police, but it was my parents who suggested that I should consider something else.
I joined the army in 2017 at the age of 22 with the intent of being on the frontline. I wanted to be front and centre, doing what the guys did, because it’s the most active role. Sadly, the infantry wasn’t open to women at the time, so I did the next best thing, which was being on the frontline as a medic. I didn’t have any kind of medical background, so studying for the Medical Corps was tough. I didn’t love it if I’m honest, but being able to exercise every day was a good fit for me.
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Esta historia es de la edición April 2024 de Women's Fitness UK.
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