From Couch to Competitor: Hilary Topper’s Endurance Journey at Any Age

What does it take to transform from a self-proclaimed couch potato to a competitive endurance athlete, after 50? 

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Hilary Topper, age-group triathlete and author of From Couch Potato to Endurance Athlete. Hilary shares the pivotal moments that sparked her fitness journey, the mental and physical hurdles she overcame, and how she’s redefining what it means to age with strength and purpose. 

We also dive into her latest work: two new beginner-friendly books designed to demystify the world of triathlon and open water swimming. Whether you're considering your first race or looking to take the plunge into the open water, Hilary’s insights are honest, accessible, and incredibly motivating.

Perfect for late bloomers, aspiring athletes, and anyone curious about pushing past perceived limits, this episode is proof that the start line can happen at any stage of life.

Whether you're looking to toe the start line for the first time or need motivation to keep going, Hilary’s story proves it’s never too late to chase bold goals.

Follow Hilary 

On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hilarytopper/?hl=en

On YouTube https://www.youtube.com/hilarytopper

On Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hilary.topper/

Buy her book From Couch Potato to Endurance Athlete

https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/from-couch-potato-to-endurance-athlete-book-hilary-jm-topper-9781782552406

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Website: https://ltrcoaching.co.uk/
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Transcript

[Music] Hi, I'm Celia Boothman, founder of LTR Coaching, and I'd like to welcome you to the Inspired Triathletes podcast, where I'll be bringing you stories from female triathletes and taking on topics that are important to women in the sport.

Hello and welcome to today's episode. I'm here with Hilary Topper who is the author of a book called From Couch Potato to Endurance Athlete. So, welcome Hillary. It's great to have you on. Um that's okay. So, we'll start off just with a little bit of background about you. What was it that inspired you really to go from that couch potato as you call it to an endurance athlete? What was there a trigger point? Yeah, there definitely was a trigger point. I I was, you know, I was like going through perry menopause and I started to evaluate my like my life really like what do I want, you know, how do I want to go down this path of, you know, working 80our weeks and going to all these cocktail parties and packing on the weight and really just, you know, just not eating healthy and not having a healthy lif lifestyle. I mean, do I want to go down that path or do I want to change my life? And at that point, I was like, I have to change my life. I just I am not happy with how it's going. Even though the business was going well at the time, I wasn't happy. So, I joined a gym for the first time in my life. Um, I never like stepped foot in a gym before. So, it was really a weird thing for me. And I, you know, and the and I hired a personal trainer right away and he said to me, you know, you really should um go on the treadmill, warm up, and um, you know, and he went upstairs. He just left me there. And I'm like, uh, what am I supposed to do with this? And there was a woman next to me who was running and sweats dripping off of her. And I asked her, "Excuse me, can you help me turn this on?" And you know, so it was it was basically like that and she did and she was real gracious about it. And after that, I just started to walk on the treadmill and eventually I ran on the treadmill and and I met this woman. This was like very random. She was in one of my women's groups and I said, "Oh, I'm starting to run, you know, on the treadmill." and she said to me, "Oh, let's why don't we meet every Sunday? We'll go on the we we where we lived. We lived in Long Beach, which is in New York, and there's this very beautiful boardwalk there that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. And the boardwalk spans about 2.1 mile in each direction." So, she said to me, you know, let's meet on the boardwalk and let's do, you know, let's do a a run walk. We'll see how we go. And and I knew that she was pretty experienced. I mean, she had just ran the New York City Marathon. So, I was like, why would she want to run with me? I I'm just starting. I don't really even know how to run. Um but anyway it turned out that we had a similar gate and we really enjoyed you know run walking together. So uh so we started to do that and we were doing you know and she and we started doing that every Sunday and then she said to me you know what we should sign up for a half marathon let's do it in Disney and I was thinking you know Mickey Mouse like how hard could it be you know so that was really the start and after that we started doing a lot of different events together around the country And and then the big aha moment was when we you know it was a couple of years later. I had just come back from Fort Meyers Santael in Florida. I had um I was one of the early adopters of wearable tech and there you know and I was asked to be a Google Glass Explorer. Right. So, here, you know, these are like augmented reality glasses that you could uh take photos and video and, you know, share it on social and it's all in your headset. Yeah. Anyway, so I'm invited down to Fort Myers to do this project with four other people from around the US. And the the um the person who was in charge of the tourism board down there, she said to me, "Oh, you're a runner. Oh, you would love to do this triathlon. It's called the Santa Bell Try and Captiva Try and we'd love you to come down." And so anyway, so fast forward uh a couple of weeks and my friend and I we're doing the Boston at the Boston we're doing the Brooklyn half marathon. Okay. And we're very close to Coney Island and she says to me, "You know what? I don't want to do these anymore. I'm done." She says, "I'm absolutely done. These running events are horrible." So I said to her, "Oh, well, let's try a triathlon." You know, not knowing anything about triathlons. I knew it was swim, bike, and run, but that was it. Like, I didn't even know what any of this was. Yeah. So, we sign up for this event and she says to me, "We got to hire a coach." And she ended up going with one coach. I end up going with this guy who, you know, thinks I'm like, you know, an Olympian or something and he's like training me like, you know, hours every day. I'm like, "What the heck is going on here?" You know, cuz I'm I'm just a beginner. I'm not uh It happens quite a lot actually with coaches. They just kind of go, "Oh yeah, you're training for triathlon. You must like be starting at this point." Without even finding out like, "Oh my god, I didn't I didn't even know how to swim." Like 25 yards, you know, or, you know, in the pool, which is comparable to a 25 meter. It's a little shorter. Um, but I I I was throwing up. I I could not get through that 25 yards without I mean, I didn't even know how to like put my head in the water. I was just kind of like doing the doggy paddle and you know so it was a lot of big learning to big learning curve you know to get me to to do an event this event and then once I did that event I was totally hooked. Okay. And was that a sprint triathlon or what distance was it? Yeah it was this grip. Yeah. Awesome. Yeah. That's good. They didn't go straight for iron m I know a lot of people do and yes no it's crazy but but you know to do that to do the sprint you know after doing half marathon I remember training a long time ago I trained for a half marathon I was like oh my god it's such a lot of training like it was a you know years before I started getting into triathlon and then I looked at the triathlon distances and I was like whoa it's about the same just for a sprint you know to do the amount amount of training. So, it is a big deal doing a sprint triathlon when you without a doubt. Yeah. So, that's amazing. And you had your mentor by the sounds of it. And you had that kind of motivation with with each other, which is really great to have. Um, so do you feel like you're a bit of a mentor now for other people? Yeah. So, I I really, you know, to me, I I try to do like a lot on social media like to motivate people, you know I won. I I you know I'm I'm by no means a great athlete. I love doing triathlons and I love doing all of these events. I do you know also distance swimming and I'm not fast at all. I'm back of the pack. But what I what I like to instill in people is you know what it's okay you know like so what? So you're in the back of the pack. So what? You're doing so much better than those who are sitting on the couch watching TV and drinking wine, you know? I mean really like and and it and mentally it's it makes a big difference, you know, especially when you're going through pmenopause or menopause and you know it's just it's it's a hard time. So when you go through that, you know, it it definitely helps. Yeah. It provides some kind of structures, doesn't it, for you? and then that sense of achievement and as long as you can stay in that mindset. I think that's great what you're saying about, you know, you don't have to be the fastest person in the race or doing like, you know, you sometimes see a lot of that in the triathlon space of this very elite level triathlete, but most of us aren't like that. And most people are just, you know, doing it to keep fit and be healthy and and have fun. And what can happen with people I think is they get sucked into and they think but I'm not very fast and I you know and then they start beating themselves up right like everybody's looking at straa you know everybody's looking to see like oh this one was so much faster than me you know like I mean it was so nice today I went out with two people who I never swim with um and you know they invited me to swim with them and it was interesting ing because I did not care that they were so much faster than me. Like I just you know what? I'm going to enjoy the water. I'm just gonna like just do my thing. Let them be. You know, if they don't want to wait for me, that's okay. You know, I'll I'll be okay. And you're quite happy. You've got the self-confidence to to be able to manage that. And some people don't. But and do you think that came that comes from starting later in life because you didn't you've got no expectations really have you coming into it? It's like whatever I do is great. Yeah. Exactly. I mean the thing of it is is that I think for the first you know many many years I mean it's it took me a long time to get to this mental state. And there are times when I'm like, "Oh, you know, I wish I was faster or you whatever." You know, I mean, you do get that like you do compare yourself with others and it's I think it's just human nature. Yeah. But, you know, I'm really trying hard to just keep in my space, keep in my lane, you know, and and then what I do is like on social, I I try to get people to feel like, okay, it's it's okay. You know what? I I want to, you know, I'm gonna if Hillary could do it, I could do it. You know, like that. Like I I don't I want it to be more uh that we're all, you know, kind of in it together and it doesn't really matter as long as we're doing it. Yeah. And all you can do is your best and you know there's no that's that's it, you know. And some people like my best's not good enough. Like I know, you know, you can't do any more than that. You try your hardest. you turn up. You know, like you say, that's more than most people will ever do in their life. You know, a lot of people do nothing like what you're doing. Yeah. Exactly. So, yeah, you need to kind of acknowledge that. Yeah. People think I'm, you know, people from my past life, uh, think I'm absolutely out of my mind, you know, because I've that I've never, this was not me, you know, and it just it was a 10 year plus transition of just, you know, really just, you know, getting focused. And to me, it just it, as you said, Cecil, it's it it keeps you um it keeps you on track. It keeps you on track. It keeps you motivated, you know, and when you have a structure, you just kind of do it and yeah, you get on with it and you've got you know what you're going to do and and you and you've got that goal as well of the race at the end of it, which is great because you it's like just there in the future. And so, oh no, my brain's gone. I just thought of something I was going to ask you and just completely gone out of my head. Oh yeah, I was going to say so that the people that you were did you kind of have a bit of a life shedding of people from your past life and did your sort of social life change as well with with the sport? Yeah, I mean I think that what happens when you become a triathlete or an endurance athlete is you get very close to people. you. It's almost like these are your people, you know, like when you go to a race and you see people that you know and and it just feels good to see these people. Um or even the swimming. Um I just did a 5.5 mile swim in um the ocean. It's um it's a big swim out on Long Island and um it was just so nice to to see people that I know from years ago and you know and then the people who I didn't know we connected with and we you know we automatically had a shared common interest you know that that really you know really resonated with me and it was just it makes you feel really comfortable like you belong to this community and it's just a nice it's a really nice community. It's very welcoming, you know, to anybody and everybody, you know, and that's why, you know, in the beginning of uh before we started this conversation, I was telling you I also have a a new book coming out called Unlocking the Triathlon. um a a beginners's guide to competing in a triathlon. And it really takes you like from, you know, why do you want to do this, you know, like figuring out your why to, you know, the zones, you know, how to figure out your training zones and then, you know, really delving into like the swim, bike, and run. and then getting into nutrition and hydration and supplements, like stuff like that that you really have no idea about when you first start this sport, you know. And I had bought like all of these books, like I can't even tell you how many books I bought when I first started. And so many of them were so complicated. I couldn't even I was like, "What? What is this man saying? I have it's going completely over my head." So, in in my book that's coming out in January, it's it's really um you know, it's really like a book that you can relate to, that you can understand, that you could really use as a manual, you know. So, and then definitely Yeah. And then I have another book um that's going to follow that sometime either next year or the year after on open water swimming because that is another thing like so I did not know how to swim right when I started. I was 53. I didn't know how to swim. I you know this is so embarrassing but I joined this master swim group and the lifeguard who happens to be like really hot. Don't tell him I said that. So, he jumps in the water. He sees I'm struggling. I'm throwing up. I'm like, the water is getting up my nose. I'm like, oh my god, this is like a disaster. So, he actually jumps in the water with me and he says, "Come on, Hillary. Let's blow bubbles." Now, he's like 30, I'm 53. I'm like, "Oh my god, this is so embarrassing." you know, and everybody in the other lanes are they're just, you know, going fast and hard and, you know, and there's me blowing bubbles with the with the swim instructor. It was really embar but but it's really good exercise to do that. Calm me down. Yeah. But he really taught me how to swim. And it was this was like a 360 because when I did this Maggie Fishiser swim on um on Friday, the 5.5 mile swim, he was actually there doing the swim. And I said to him, "You were the one who got me here, you know, and he's like, "Yeah, you're right." I mean, I said from blowing bubbles to Maggie Fishiser. Amazing. Yeah. Yeah. That's so nice to see like the impact that someone can have on on your life like that, you know, like I suppose you had the, you know, all those little connections that you make and okay, this is the way you're going to go and you're going to like someone mention something. Yeah. It's so cool that those things happen and you like end up somewhere and you're like, how did I get here like wow? And it's nice to look back and say and appreciate those people that helped you on the way as well, you know, like you got to say thank you to him as well. Absolutely. And and the reason why I was saying the story was because I I remember at that time I was so scared about swimming a mile, oh my god, a mile in the open water like in the ocean. Like how scary is that? I grew up on the beach. It was funny because but my mother never let me in the water, you know. She was like, "Oh, it's a the riptide's going to pull you in, sweep you away, you're going to die." It was always like that, like dramatic, you know. So, I never went in. And, you know, so, you know, swimming, you know, in the open water is a fear for a lot of people. Yeah. But what was interesting was that like for me once I it clicked it clicked and I was able to just do it and I finally, you know, was able to swim in the open water, no problem. But now that I'm also a coach, you know, and I I'm also certified in um USMs uh swim coach and wower swim coach. And the thing about it is that I've been meeting so many people who are so nervous about going in the open water. You can't see anything. What's in there? There's sharks. There's this. There's crabs. There's, you know, you don't, you know, and people are really nervous. So, you know, I decided to write a book, another book about open water swimming. And this book is also for beginners. So it's like it's a very beginner book like talking about the mental stuff you know how to overcome that and yeah because there is a lot of weird fears that people have. I think I did an Instagram post a long time ago and I said, "What are you most scared of in open water?" And the responses were really bizarre. Some of them you're like, "Really?" But your mind does some very strange things when you're in open water and you know, you're right. And the longer you go in the open water, like the further you go, you do a 10, you know, you finally do a 10k swim or something or, you know, beyond that. I'm doing an 8.3 mile swim. um in Michigan coming up in a couple of weeks and you start hallucinating a little bit. Like, did I see that? Yeah. Yeah. What was that? My god. Yeah. We get these um they're called they're barrel jellyfish in the sea here and they're massive. They're like that big. And it feels like a Well, it sometimes can feel like a dead body or something. Yeah. like your fingers go through it, right? Like, oh, what was that? So, people get really freaked out by those and it's just exposure, isn't it, to that kind of thing. It's all you can do like in small doses. But you sometimes will get a big group, you know, you have to swim through them and there's nothing you can do about it. Everyone's in the same situation. Exactly. They don't sting, which is good. That's good. Yeah. They just look like sp, you know, you sort of see them looming. What's the or seaweed, you know, like when I was I was doing the Maggie Fisher, there was so much seaweed. Oh my god, I was getting caught in it. Like it was just wrapped around me. Yeah. Like, oh my god, this is like I can't get through. Yeah. Yeah. Because you get that in lakes as well, don't you? Like with the, you know, people think, "Oh, I'll do a lake swim. It'll be easier and then you can get sort of quite a lot of pond weed in lakes sometimes. Not so nice. It could even be worse. Yeah. You don't want to think about that's good. So we're So you you've written one book and you're in the Well, you've have you finished the second book coming out in January. Yeah. So that one's done. Um it's right now at the type setter. Um my publisher is uh you know just uh laying it out and um we're going to be getting out you know review copies and stuff like that soon but it'll be available to the general public. Um and it will be available in in the UK. My publisher is actually um she she is in uh Germany and her her person uh who does a lot of the marketing and stuff like that. She's in the UK, so it will be there, you know, when it's available. So, okay. So, and what is it that's motivated you to write these books? Because you obviously like writing books if you've got a few coming. So, yeah. So, I I have a blog, right? So, so the first uh book, the from couch potato to endurance athlete is actually a compilation. So, what happened? What happened? I'll I'll give you the long and short of the story. Yeah. So, I have this blog. It's called a triathletesdiary.com. And um the the blog's been around since I started doing triathlon. And um my uh SEO web guy, he says to me, you know, you really need to remove some of these stories. They're so old. And you know, it's it's it's it's too much. Like your your site is is huge. Oh, yeah. got to like try to I had that problem. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Right. Get rid of some stuff. Yeah. So I start taking all So I start going back like to 2011, you know, 2010, 2011, you know, all that. And as I'm going back, I'm downloading these stories and I'm and I start putting them all together and I start reading them together as like a story. And I was talking to this woman who worked for me and I said to her, "What do you think? Do you think this is could be a book and she said, "Yeah, you know, you just need to put more into it, you know, like feelings and stuff like that." Like it it you can't just take your blog and make it a book. Yeah. It's just you got to kind of weave it all together. And and so you know what was happening in your life during those times? you know, um, how did it all start? Like what were you feeling? You know, in the beginning of the book, I talk about and you know, it it was really hard for me to to talk about this because it was it was very um you know, it was very transparent and and and you know, I talked about my upbringing and you know, my parents and how like they were very, you know, uh uh controlling and um you know, so yeah. So I start out by talking about that and then I kind of get into this you know like how I even started I started my business. I I was in the public relations business and I I had that for many many years and you know I talk about like how the progression of you know going and getting to this point where I was you know became an endurance athlete. Um, and so anyway, you know, but there are points in the book where I really, you know, like what we were talking about before with Strava and not feeling good about yourself. I really talk about that like how I really didn't feel good about myself. And it took so long for me to get to that point where I was like, you know what, I'm good. You know, things are good and you know, I got this. Um, so yeah. So, so it was uh it was like that. And then there is a part in the book I I I'll tell you this was crazy, right? So during one of my seasons uh it was back in uh 2018. M I had signed up for all these events and I was, you know, gearing up and I really felt good and I was feeling strong, finally feeling strong without getting injured because I, you know, keep getting injured just, you know, part for the cause. So anyway, so um my you know I write about this in my book how you know um I was talking to my sister and she was having all these headaches and she um you know it was so bad and she was going to all these doctors and they were like oh it's just a migraine no big deal. They kept giving her medication, all this. Her blood pressure was elevated and then um the a week later she crashed in her apartment. She just collapsed and um she was found foaming at the mouth. They she had an aneurysm. Um and she was in a coma for three weeks before she passed. Wow. And it was this particular chapter for some reason. Oh my god. I had to read this over and over and over again. I I was doing an audio I have an audio book. Okay. And for some reason the chapter like it kept the audio book kept messing up in some way and I had to reread this. I mean, I must have reread this chapter about, you know, a do at least a dozen times. And every time I read it, I was crying. Yeah. Hysterical, you know. Yeah. That's almost like you were being forced to process that grief. That's crazy, isn't it? It was crazy. It was really crazy. And yeah, she was my best friend, so it was it was really rough. I'm sorry. Yeah, that's really and a shock as well. You know, not what you expecting at all. And you you hear about these things, you you know, you read about these things and you say, "Oh, that's Yeah. You don't think it's ever going to happen to me." No, I know. Yeah. Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your sister. And that was So, that wasn't that long ago either, really, was it? So, in 2018, so 2018 almost eight years. Yeah. It's I mean it isn't it it sounds like a lot but it isn't really you know been with someone that long in your life and you don't have them. So that must have been really tough to write about and very tough. It was just I was, you know, I was hysterical. And and then, you know, we we did there were so many things that were so similar and so parallel in our lives that I decided to get an MRI of my brain. And it turned out I had a brain aneurysm. So, I had to go for surgery a couple of years ago to get a scent put in the back of my head, which was like crazy, you know, because you're you're so like you get into triathlon, you get into endurance sports, and that becomes the biggest thing in your life, and then these things happen, and it's a stop. It's a pause and you know it, you know, but thankfully, thank God, I'm okay, you know, and and I caught it and I caught it and my and I I attributed it to my sister because she saved my life because if she if that didn't happen to her, I would never have known I didn't even know about aneurysms. No. No. Well, you wouldn't. It's not something people think about very often unless No, not at all. Yeah. And it's you in the face really. Yeah. So, okay. Um, sorry about that. Where did we go? No, it's just No, it's not. It's like, you know, this is life, isn't it? We have to deal with these things. Was she into any kind of sports or No, not at all. She She thought I was absolutely crazy. She just she she was like, "Why are you doing these things?" You know, I would, you know, one time I I was in um my my son went to UC Berkeley in California and I was out there and I was doing a run and there's this beautiful run right along the marina uh by the Pacific Ocean. It's just magnificent. You see the you know the um Golden Gate Bridge, you see the you know, you see all the bridges. It's It's beautiful. Yeah. And um and I'm running and I'm feeling so happy and all of a sudden I trip and you know my knee is like so bloody like I'm like like a bloody mess. And I call her up and she's like, "Why are you doing this? You really need to stop." But otherwise, it's funny what people think as well, isn't it? Cuz you're like, "I'm feeling really good. Even if I've got blood all over me, I don't care. I feel great. You just keep and you want to just keep going forward even though you're bleeding. Yeah, exactly. Makes you feel more hardcore as well. It's like Yeah. Awesome. Okay. And um where so you were racing and training during the time when your sister died as well? I mean, how did that affect you training? Yeah, I just, you know, my my my thought was nothing really matters, you know, like I really started to think like why am I so like I used to get so nervous at these races, you know, like before a race I would I would just have such terrible race anxiety, you know, like I mean, yes, I'm not I'm not coming in first place, but I didn't want to come in last place. God forbid I should come in last place. Like, you know, and then there was one race where I actually did come in last place. And I thought to myself, you know what? It's okay. It's okay. It's It's really okay. It doesn't matter. Nobody's going to remember that you came in first place or last place, you know? I mean, it does, you know, but nobody else does. And so at that time I was you know I was really having like these thoughts of okay you know should I continue to do this shouldn't I and then you know the realization came where I thought you know what this is this I'm doing this for me it's healthy it's you know it's it it helps you know even mentally more more I think so sometimes more mentally than anything else because you just you could just get it out. Like I had so many issues with my mom, you know, growing up, but she just she felt really bad about herself, you know, she just she had a very I mean, she was a polio survivor. She was in an iron lung when she was a baby, you know, when she was little. And so, you know, and then she had us very, very young. She was 18 when she had us. and she was always very sick and you know so the feelings that she had for herself she kind of you know kind of deflected I guess on us and um you know made us all feel like a little bit inferior. So, you know, it was there was a lot of issues there. And I mean, I went through therapy and all that kind of stuff, but I write about this in the book, too, you know, a little bit, you know, a lot actually because some people like, "Oh my god, I can't believe you shared this." But anyway, so I shared it because I I know I'm not alone. I know that there are other people that have dealt with similar issues. So I I felt it was important to put in there. And so during one of my runs, I had a long run. Um it was I was training for the New York City Marathon and I started coming to terms with my mother during that run and I was crying like at the end of this run. I'm hysterical crying, you know, and you know, but but you really you end up coming to terms, you know, with things that happened and you start accepting it instead of saying, "Oh, this was terrible. I can't believe this happened to me." Oh, no. You know what? Everybody goes through stuff in their lives and everybody has issues with their childhood and it's time to accept and move on. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's a really important and interesting point and I think you know something that I definitely resonate with a lot because I had you know my dad was quite distant when I was growing up and I was always looking for approval and you know I was like there was one point in my Iron Man training I was like I wanted him to come and watch me um race and he yeah he was like yeah yeah I'll come and watch you it's like my first Iron Man And then like a few weeks later, he was like, "Oh, sorry. We're going on holiday." And I was like, "Okay, I'm never going to get what I think I need from him." So, I just need to like let that go. And it is like there I think sport and doing these endurance events is massive. You can work through so much stuff in there almost like you say maybe better than therapy in some ways because you do it yourself. if you if you really listen to what thoughts are coming up and I always recommend people do this for themselves if they can is like write down okay what am I thinking about myself when I do this session and like stuff like I'm old and rubbish and whatever you know you write it down and then you go where's this coming from why am I feeling like this you know it can be an amazing therapy session like training for endurance events and you can let a lot of stuff go and and just grow so much through the sport, which is I guess is why you're so passionate about helping other people get into it so that they can process and and learn and and grow and become ultimately like better humans and more happy humans really. Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. Because there's so I mean everyone goes through so much stuff in their lives. There's never nobody nobody walks away from life unscathed in any type of way, you know, although we think everyone's fine. Yeah. You think everybody's like, "Oh, this is, you know, this person just does amazing, but it all kind of comes back or it comes around and you know, yeah, I look at this one woman who I went to high school with and she was in the show. She was always the lead and she was, you know, beautiful and, you know, she started an opera company and she was very successful and and now, you know, I see her and she's on Facebook and her husband has Parkinson's and she just looks horri,

you know, and it's just sad to me because she was, you know, I mean, she was like, everybody looked at her and said, "Oh, this is the person I want to be. And you know, and then her life turned around, which is sad. And yeah, and I guess we have to go through these things, don't we, to to change and develop and and it's not necessarily at the time it's not good and it's hard and Yeah. Yeah. But you usually come out of it like going, "Oh, wow. that experience like changed me for the better and I wouldn't like you say you wouldn't be where you are now if you hadn't had those experiences and maybe you know you wouldn't have gained so much if it had just been easy for you to go into endurance sports it might not have been the same kind of thing. So yeah. Okay. Um with your so you said you had like surgery on to Was that two years ago for the brain? For the brain aneurysm. Yeah, it was about two years ago. Yeah, it was definitely Yeah, it was two years ago. And then I also, you know, while training for uh half iron man, um I tore my meniscus for the third time. Oh no. Yeah. It was like after a 60-mi bike ride, I go out for a run and um I think I was like a half a mile into the run and I could hear, you know, I heard it snap. So anyway, so I had miniscus surgery and that was, you know, whatever it was, what it was. And then um I was told this past year that I needed a knee replacement, a partial knee replacement. So, I had heard that there was a new thing called the Misha knee system. It's like a a hinge that gets attached to your knee. Um, it's a little less less invasive than a partial knee replacement. You know, they don't put anything in. They just attach it to your tibia and your femur. Okay. Um, but you know, so I have this surgery. It took me a long time to decide, okay, you know what? I'm going to do this. I'm going to, you know, I'm going to get this done because I I love running. I don't want to give up running. This is something important to me. Yeah. So, I get this done and then I I think it was my follow-up appointment. I think it was like, you know, the six week mark or something. And the surgeon was like, "Oh, I just want to tell you that all of the units that were put in, the last hundred people, and this is like a new thing. Like a lot of people don't even know about this." Yeah. The last hundred that were put in, they're all defective. Yours is defective. She said, "But don't worry, you know, it could be okay." You know? Right. Okay. And my husband's like, "Oh, you know, they're putting they're putting the same unit in a 200 pound man than they're putting in you and you're, you know, 130." You know what I mean? So, you know, maybe the load might be different. Yeah. Exactly. [Music] But I've been struggling ever since. Like I haven't really I've been trying to get back to running. So, that's been a real struggle for me. um just you know I'm still in a lot of pain and this is almost a year after the surgery. It's crazy. So you know so again like people continuously struggle even though they look like oh they're doing so great and they're you know doing all these events and they're you know Yeah. but you're you don't know you're in pain. Yeah. So knee surgery can be like really I I know that it can be just a bit of an emotional roller coaster I think for from what I've seen with people. So how do you manage that at the moment with the trying to get back to running? So I've been you know at first I was trying to do it uh I was trying to get back as you know to where I was and then I realized you know what I can't do it that way. It's just not going to work out. So, what I've been doing is just taking like a mile at a time, just doing a mile, you know, and maybe, you know, couple of days later or, you know, a few days later I'll do another mile, you know, and I'm just trying to build it up like that. Um, as opposed to, okay, you know what? I'm I don't know that I'm going to get back to where I was, you know. But yeah, so that's part of the process, you know, because as we age as well, those things happen, don't they? We can't necessarily get back to where we were, especially if you've had an injury and and you've had a setback like that, then it's that is a really difficult to deal with. It's a real challenge for us to get our head around that. And that must be something that you're learning some new stuff with. My my train my training buddy, he says to me, you know, you got to put things into perspective. It's not that bad. Like you can always just do an aqua bike. They're not, you know, and he's right. Like I don't need to dwell on this. like I'm going to try to get back and next year I'm I this year I'm feeling like okay let me just take it as it comes you know I mean for me it's it's particularly difficult because I am you know I do write about sneakers I do write about running I do you know that's one of the things that I write about and I do a column on um a newsletter as well for a magazine And you know, not being able to run is puts a little damper on things, but but I'm trying. And and that's what I've been, you know, saying also on social is, you know what, I'm trying to get back. If you're struggling, you're going to get back. We could do this together. Let's let's help each other get back, you know? Yeah. And like you say, you have to be prepared to adapt if you can't, you know. It sounds like you're really enjoying the distance swimming. So that's like something that you can do as well. I had like coached people before that I've had like one sport and it was running and it's like the whole identity gets wrapped up and and then it's very hard to let go. If you have got no alternative or there's no sort of flexibility about but I could do that instead or I could do this instead. There are other options. then people get really low and and find it really hard. So, it's good that you do have and a triathlon is one of those sports where you kind of you've got that anyway. So, you're like, oh, I can do all of these from the beginning. So, you've always got options and then you go, okay, I'm going to focus more on that or more on this. And there's so many things that you can do just within triathlon. And then if you start thinking outside of that box as well, then you know, you can there's all sorts of things. But yeah, it's That's uh sounds challenging for you at the moment then with that Yeah, it's a it's a little bit of a challenge, but I'm working through it. Yeah, definitely. And so is there any tips that you'd give to people if that's something that they're dealing with? Yeah, I mean I I definitely I try to, you know, tell people just to be kind to yourself, you know, don't it's it's okay. It's okay. you know, maybe you're not going to run that nine or eight or nine minute mile again, you know, and if you do, great. But you got to be gentle with yourself. And you have to give it time. And you know, I know that surgery, you know, when you have surgery, you have major surgery like, you know, a knee replacement or this Misha thing that I had, it's pretty major. Um, I mean, they they like screw into your bones, you know? Yeah. You know, and it's it's almost like they it's almost like a broken bone. So, you need to be gentle and you need to give it time and it's it's okay um to give it time, you know, just just be patient because you will you will get back. Um, maybe you're not going to be, you know, running marathons, but you'll hopefully be running 5Ks or 10Ks or half marathons, you know. Yeah. And do you ever use any kind of gratitude practices and or anything like that to help? Absolutely. I have a gratitude journal. Um, I actually there sitting right here. It's funny, right? Isn't that funny? Um, you know, one line, gratitude, one line a day. Yeah. Um, you know, and I have another one here that I write in. You know, this one I take with me. And I I do I write about, you know, what I'm grateful for. And, you know, that definitely helps. I mean, I'm grateful that I'm able to ride a bike or swim or, you know, Yeah. Okay. the running it's it's hard but yeah it's like you can do other stuff. I was I saw something the other day and it was like gratitude journaling is like gaslighting yourself or something and I was like well I kind of see what you're saying but really it's also very helpful. You know, when you're in a a kind of low space, then just finding anything that you can be positive about, it does change the way you think about things. And if you're focusing on like what is wrong and what everything that's going wrong and all the things that could be better, then it's going to make you more depressed. Whereas, if you focus on the good, then that's where your mind goes and you sort of gravitate towards that more positive energy, which we need a lot more of. We absolutely do. We absolutely do. Yeah, for sure. And so you you know, you started quite late. Do what kind of advice would you give to people who were thinking about trying to start getting active, but they're thinking, "Oh, it's I'm a bit old now. My knees hurt." Yeah, that's I get that all the time from my friends. They're like, "Oh, I'm too old to start." And it's so not true. I mean, you could start at any age, you know? I I I have a running group. I've got runners in their 70s and they're just killing it. They're just killing it. And they weren't runners their whole lives. They're This is, you know, they got to it a little bit later in life. and they're enjoying the community and, you know, and being part of it. Um, you know, I'm 63 and I hope that I can keep going. You know, I I there was a woman at a recent triathlon that I did. She was 85 years old, you know, she was the only one in her age group and obviously she won. Yeah. you know, and she had such attitude and I loved it. I just loved it. Like she just she she kicked my butt on the bike. I I like I can't keep up with this woman. Wow. That's amazing. I think there's a lot more inspirational older people now than there used to be. You know, we do see that on social media whereas in the past maybe you didn't. So where do you think that people get this idea that they're too old? Where do where does it come from? Do you think you know? I think so. I think it's all like, you know, this negative thought in your head like what you were saying, you know, like why, you know, it it's this negative thought in your head like, oh, I could never do that. I could uh, you know, I'm too heavy. I'm too old. I'm too this. I'm too that. And you know, in reality, you know, and that's really why I wrote the book from couch potato to endurance athlete, cuz I I wanted to reach out to those people, you know, that were, you know, sitting on the couch, watching TV, you know, drinking a beer, feeling like, you know, this is what their life is now, you know, and it doesn't have to be that way. You don't have to you don't have to be like that. you could, you know, you could make that change. And I that's that's my whole thing. Like I really, you know, I really want people to feel like they can change because they can, you know, and I think that by reading my story, it does inspire people to try to, you know, say, "Look, you know, if she could do this, I could do this." Like I mean really it's amazing and it is it's inspirational and we we need a lot of that to be seen but I suppose not everybody is in those circles where they see that inspiration and and yeah I guess it's like reaching those people. I don't know how how you do it because they're locked into that space. I think I'm kind of the opposite in that I I'm I'm like I'm not that old. stop like getting older and then I'm like oh hang on yeah you are a bit and you just don't feel like it and you're like why am I with all these old people? Oh yeah, I'm that age. Like mentally I don't feel like you know you you don't you always are tw You're always 20 years old in your head. Yeah, I know. Why doesn't my back hurt? Why is that twinging? It's not That shouldn't be happening. I'm in denial. But that's, you know, it's great. I think staying active as long as you possibly can is so important. It's just like a really key thing for me definitely. And I love being physical and but I always have done. So, you know, I feel like it's easy for me to say that cuz I've always used it as a mental health. You know, if it was if I wasn't competing for something, I was just using it as like a space to deal with. Yeah. I mean, and I think that's really important to say, too, and to acknowledge because people think that, you know, be maybe they didn't grow up in sport. Look, I I didn't I never I never participated in a gym. I used to like sneak out the back so that I can cut out, you know, like I never participated in gym. I never like we used to they used to bring us to the pool when I was a little girl and I would just splash around. I I had no interest in doing anything athletic. Um so you know but then you know when my kids were born I really kind of pushed them into doing athlet athletes you know athletics in school um because I realized how important it really is. You know my parents they didn't see any importance there. Um, but you know, now as I'm older, I realize that this is something that you have to do. Like you don't even have a choice. Like you have to be active in some you don't look, you don't have to you don't have to have to go and do it. Yeah. You don't have to swim, you know, eight miles in Michigan, you know, just anything, isn't it? It's like and you just got to start somewhere. Yeah. Exactly. like to just get started cuz you know you could the danger is you go but I couldn't possibly do all of that and it's like well you don't start going and doing like a sprint triathlon you built up from walking on a treadmill um and then meeting someone and starting to do little runs and then you know that gradually sort of seeps its way into your life and really positive I don't think I think when people start going down that route and they see the benefits. They don't tend to like go back really or they they want to try even if they've got barriers. They kind of want there's that desire because they you see how it helps and stay trying to stay consistent with people. I think sometimes well that's I think that's the hardest thing is is getting started and then getting consistent. And the thing that I've been, you know, kind of stressing a lot to a lot of people, um, is that, you know, set yourself up the night before, get yourself all set, and then, you know, you have to go for a run, you have to go for a swim, you have to go for a bike ride. You're all set up. All you have to do is throw on your clothes, take your supplements or whatever you're taking in the morning, you know, have your coffee and get out the door. Like I I just like, okay, time to go. Yeah. Yeah. You don't even have time to think about it. Like I don't want to do it's like you're going. Yeah, definitely. And I'm, you know, I'm up every day at 4:00. So yeah. So I'm, you know, and usually out the door by, you know,4 to 5, 5:00. So yeah. Okay. Yeah. But people don't have to do that. No, you could do anytime you for me. It just for me. If it works for you, that's good. It works. It works. It works. I was just talking to someone about whether people are morning and evening p people as well because not not everyone's a I'm more of a morning person, but not everybody is. So Awesome. So, you mentioned your books coming up. Um, you've got the one for beginner triathletes coming out in January and then there's another one in the pipeline for open water swimming. How about any races or goals? You've mentioned, was it the swim that you've got coming up? Yeah, so I have a swim I have an 8.2 mile swim in um Menau Island, which is an island. I'd never heard of it before. Um, it's in Michigan, it's in the Great Lakes, and you swim around the island, which is very cool. Um, so I'm excited about that. And then I have a couple more, um, aquabike races that I'm doing in the fall. And, uh, yeah, so I'm I'm excited. I have some some really good events coming up. And, um, yeah. Yeah. Oh, that's great to hear. Well, you know, thank you for all of your inspiring words. It's been really nice to chat with you and hear a little bit more more about your story. And people can obviously go and read your book because I think sounds amazing like what you've been through and and how you've managed things and all the stuff that you've learned along the way I think will be very fascinating for people. So, I will make sure that the links to all of that is in um the show notes and people can follow you on Instagram. Is it that you're mentioning? Yeah, Instagram. Um I'm on everything. Tik Tok. Uh okay. You know, YouTube, everywhere. So, Oh, yeah. You're in PR.

So, I'm um So, it's all Hillary Topper. Um, and um, I think uh, X's Hillary 25 because that was when the gone. Yeah. When when Twitter first came out way back when, I was like, "Oh, I'll do Hillary 25." But I should have been more consistent and kept it, but I didn't. But whatever. People will find you. We'll make sure. Sure. Okay. Well, thank you so much. I hope you have a good rest of your day. Thank you so much. I really appreciate you having me on your show. Thanks for listening today. Have a great day. Take care. Bye for now. [Music]