Over the next month or so I’ll be introducing you to some inspiring women. These are women I’ve known for a while or women I’ve met through my adventures.  In all cases, they challenge what it means to be an older woman, and their achievements and life philosophies are really worth sharing. Seeing other people living their dreams can help us to generate the courage, ambition and zest to live our own 🙂 .

First up in this series is Kerry Sweeney. Kerry’s a 44-year-old mum of three, wife, paramedic team leader for the Scottish Ambulance Service, RAF reservist medic, runner, swimmer and outdoor-lover. She recently represented Great Britain at the ITU (International Triathlon Union) World Championships, finishing 7th in the aquathlon.

I’ve known Kerry since 1999. When we moved to Crieff (Scotland), Kerry was a fitness instructor at the Crieff Hydro. I went along to Kerry’s aerobics classes (right up to the day my son was born) and ran with her now and again (although it was quite hard to keep up with her most of the time 😉 ). Kerry was one of the first people to welcome me into the local community.

I managed to catch up with Kerry recently and ask her about her adventurous life. Here’s what she had to say:

1. You’ve just represented GB for the first time at the ITU championships. Can you tell us a bit about your journey to competing? I had a random chat with an existing GB age group athlete that I know through social media who suggested I should look at qualifying times. I had one opportunity left in the season in Scotland to qualify and I decided that I should go for it. I raced at the Stirling aquathlon, placing 3^rd overall and 1^st in my age group. After that I received an email that confirmed my place. Knowing that I would be representing GB  is a feeling that it is difficult to describe: it was the biggest sporting achievement of my life. Some of my motivators were inner motivations to prove to myself that you really can do anything you want to do if you work hard enough. From an external point of view I wanted to show my children that you should chase your dreams.

My training regime was tough due to shift work and also going through the joining process to become an RAF reservist at the same time. I had to ensure that what I was eating was fuelling my body properly and that I was getting sufficient sleep around my night-shifts. I cut down on alcohol and then gave it up completely for 6 weeks which was a challenge for me. I devised my own training plan again to work around shifts but I tried to get 6/7 sessions a week in, mixing up swimming, running and strength training. Then, towards March, I started doing back-to-back swims/runs. My biggest letdown was not being able to do much outdoor swimming as it was just too cold to justify driving to Loch Earn for a few minutes swim.

Representing my country was the highest honour and pulling on the tri suit made every single session worthwhile. The support my family and friends gave me really inspired me to push to be the best I could be. As I walked into the holding pen with another 180 female athletes from all over the world I felt nervous but super excited and really privileged to have this opportunity.

2. You had a phenomenal championship! What was the race like and what impact has this achievement had on you? Throughout the race, due to how the set up was, I never knew what place I was in! The first I knew was when friends from home were messaging me. I knew I had run a 5K PB and that felt like confirmation that I had given it my all. My swim was quite difficult and I had to dig deep into mental reserves to keep pushing and this consolidated the whole feeling of being strong both mentally and physically. I sat on the roadside by myself immediately after the race with medal in my hand and I felt so overwhelmed with happiness that I had just lived my dream. All those tired, cold, hard runs were worth it. The sacrifices of going home early and monitoring weight, food, alcohol and training they were forgotten. I also realised that it’s okay not to win as long as you give it your best shot.

3. What do you have lined up next? I hope to move into representing the RAF sports teams and aim to qualify for Almere in 2020 for the world champs at aquathlon.

4. What advice would you give to women in their 40s, 50s and beyond who might really want to do something but are afraid it’s too late / they may make a fool of themselves / they’re really not cut out for whatever it is they want to do? My advice would always be give it a go. I personally don’t care if I make a fool of myself as it’s better than suffocating your dreams and I believe we are all capable of so much more than we think we are. If you don’t try, you will never know. I met some amazing American aquathletes who were in their 60s. With the uptake in women in sport I believe there is a place for everyone whether it be recreational, national or international.

5. Do you have any swimming advice for me and my upcoming butterfly adventure? Break it down and drill, drill, drill, then put it back together. For butterfly, relax and keep it smooth.

6. As you approach the menopause, how is your relationship with your body changing (if at all)? I haven’t experienced menopause symptoms, but as I get older I am growing to respect my amazing body that has not only birthed 3 wonderful babies but has carried me thousands of miles exploring hills, trails, roads and tracks. It has allowed me to lift weights, to cut through pools and lochs, and to let me live my life to the full.

7. And finally, why do you think you push yourself to achieve things in the way you do? I often ask myself why I push myself so much and quite simply it’s because I can.

If you want to keep up with Kerry’s adventures, you can follow her on Twitter @strathkerry.

Right. That’s me inspired! I’m just going outside and may be some time 🙂 . (By the way, if you’re new to my blog, you can find more out about my #OldDogNewTricks project here.)

JT 🙂