Rediscovering My Inner Athlete - When Movement Meets Meaning In Midlife with Andrea Djan-Krofa

When sport disappears from your life and is replaced by a career, raising two boys, how do you rediscover your athletic identity and compete again?

We talk to Andrea Djan-Krofa about how she did just that.  Andrea also shares  how to do hard things when you don't feel ready, the impact of multi-generational strength, what we're unconsciously teaching our children when we move and why movement isn't just about fitness.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why movement is more than exercise
• How to do hard things when you're not ready
• How to override your feelings and show up for your future self 
• What we create and leave every time we move

This conversation is a reminder that movement is more than exercise, it’s agency, identity, and life itself. Whether you once loved sport, feel disconnected from your body, or are simply curious about what’s still possible, this episode will leave you inspired to move with purpose and trust yourself again. 

Resources and Links

Diary of A CEO episode - No.1 Brain Scientist: Your Brain Is Lying To You! 

If you liked this episode, let me know by leaving a review.

Follow Andrea on Instagram @andreadjankrofa and Linkedin @andreadjankrofa

Follow the podcast on Instagram  @unshrinkablemidlfemoves

Find out more about Onika on Instagram @lifeopenedup

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:09

Traveling home from your first competitive race in decades, you're exhausted, exhilarated, still buzzing, when your teenage son turns to you and says, Mum, we've never seen you run before. That moment changed everything for Andrea D Gen Crofe. Not just that her boys had never witnessed this side of her, but that she'd almost let the rest of her life pass without reconnecting with this version of herself. Andrea was a secondary school athlete with high jump records, netball tournaments, and relays. Then life happened. University, career, motherhood. Sport faded away. Fast forward to her forties, leading female marketers across Africa and raising two sporty boys, Andrea got moving again and discovered something crucial, and so she did something radical. And what happened next changed everything. Today we talk about the grandmother Andrea barely knew, but whose strength she's been carrying all her life. About training through unforgiving times and what our children see when they watch us live our lives. Andrea shares why movement isn't just about fitness. It's about life itself and the legacy we create every time we move. And it's about refusing to stay in one place, metaphorically or physically. Andrea also shares her secret to doing hard things when you're not ready. If you've ever felt disconnected from your athletic identity or you're waiting to feel ready before taking that leap, this conversation is for you. Hi Andrea.

SPEAKER_00 1:40

Hi Annika.

SPEAKER_01 1:41

So before we get started on our conversation, tell us about yourself.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

So I am Andrea, a mother to two teenage boys. I'm in the marketing field. I actually lead an organization of female marketers across the Africa region. Really interesting work and get to meet some amazing women. There's probably lots of other things that I am, but I'm sure they'll come up in the conversation.

SPEAKER_01 2:05

So tell us a bit about your movement journey.

SPEAKER_00 2:08

I was always a sporty child in school. In secondary school, I played netball, I was on the netball team, went to various tournaments, athletics. I loved athletics. I think at the time, many years ago, I got the high jump record at my secondary school, loved relays, hurdles, I loved all of it. And I did that thing that we've now really identified that young girls do when they get to a certain age and they leave secondary school, for example, and sport drops off, which was a real shame. I'm trying to think what was actually the thing. I think it's just transitioning from secondary school where it's mandatory, you're doing it at school, all your friends are doing it to when you move to do A levels or go to college and university and you don't see it as much. But I've always had it in the back of my mind that I'm an athlete. I remember my days playing netball for the school and things. So in the back of my mind, it's been part of my identity. But as the years have gone on, I've done various things. I've obviously go to the gym every now and then, not as consistently as I like. I do prefer going to classes. When I had my children, I don't think I was really doing that. I was doing a bit before. I was doing some HIT classes after I had the kids just to try and get back into shape. And I think it wasn't until I met you and then we started doing the Wednesday runs and walks around the park that I actually started taking it really seriously. Before I'd be doing various classes and things, and you're doing it just to move, just to get going. But later in life, as you're going into your 40s and perimenopause or symptoms start kicking in, you start educating yourself about the reasons you're feeling a certain way and how exercise or movement can help you. We met around that time or when I was in that period of my life. And yeah, I remember our first meeting at the book club, and you mentioned HyROX, and then I came to your house one time when you were doing the HyROX already. There was the team of people that were following you around documenting your journey to HIROCs, and I saw the video of you and the interviews and things like that, and I thought, okay, she's really doing something, she's really making a real difference to her life and things, and I thought it's worth a try. And I think with me, something I've identified later in life is that I like the challenge, and I need to set a challenge for myself for me to work towards. If there's no forward-looking challenge or objective or stretch that I'm working towards, then things get left by the wayside. Again, I still have that athletic child within me. Even though I'm a bit slower than I was then, obviously, but uh, yeah. I just want to make another point in terms of movement and how it's impacted me. And it hasn't been more evident than in the past few months for me personally. Because of work stress, been really busy, various challenges. I haven't been moving as much, and I've felt it. I've really felt when I do move, I'm moving a lot slower than I've than I've ever done. So it's just it's got me more concerned and even more motivated to get out of this kind of little funk that I'm in and get back into working. And I've got this challenge in a few weeks, which is gonna be really interesting to go through and from now on just to really do everything I can to make sure that I can uh do my best in this challenge coming up.

SPEAKER_01 5:36

Yeah. And I love that you said you're athletic inner child because you're the one that has us sprinting now and again on a Wednesday. Because you just out of the blue, I can't remember what it was, but you were saying, Oh, that was it. I think it was during one of the holidays, so half of the track wasn't being used. Yeah, and you said, Oh, I feel like doing a hundred. And we were like, Okay, come on then. And there we were, I think we were about six of us, wasn't it? And I think even Vince's mum did it. I think she might have done it. I can't remember.

SPEAKER_00 6:04

Did she? Yes, I think so.

SPEAKER_01 6:06

And we're all there just having as fun. And you know what? It reminded me of. You know, I don't know if you've seen the meme on Instagram, but where I think I'm sprinting, and you're like, no, okay, really. That's that's how I felt at the end of this. I can do this, and then you're like, no, that took quite a while, but it was so much fun.

SPEAKER_00 6:26

No, it was really fun, but yeah. It was it was so much fun. So I'm more the sprinting person rather than the slow and steady. I'm sorry, it's just I'm trying to develop that muscle of the slow and steady and consistent, but I much prefer sprinting. And it's funny that see, this is what I mean by movement, like the more you move, the more you want to move. And we did those sprints after a big session in the gym, and then we did the run before, and then we went in the gym, and then I wanted the sprint as like a bit of a dessert, kind of and you know what everybody said yes, which is what I thought was surprising.

SPEAKER_01 6:59

So I was like, if everybody said yes, we're doing it.

SPEAKER_00 7:01

Yeah, and I think once you're up and you're going, your adrenaline is already running, and it's just uh something nice, something nice to do. Not everyone would agree, I believe.

SPEAKER_01 7:11

But they said yes, and that's the important thing, right? You do it, you have a go. And we have done it a couple of times since, and we will do it again. It will come back, I think, once a month or something. We'll just have a run. Yeah, but yeah, you're right.

SPEAKER_00 7:22

I was gonna share something else, but it may be a bit too much information. Come on. The sprinting we've been doing in the last few months have just made me aware of another perimonopausal issue in terms of bladder control and when you're exerting yourself, which is funny now, but it's actually not very funny. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:40

So things up on us when we least expect.

SPEAKER_00 7:43

Yes, oh my goodness, and just when you think that you've got all the symptoms down, Pat, and then something else comes up and you think, yeah, interesting times.

SPEAKER_01 7:53

But it doesn't hold you back from doing it most of the time. Exactly. You participated in the high rocked relay back in June, so almost six months ago, your first, because you're doing another thing. I really want to talk around that a bit because you weren't entertaining it and you started training, which was great, but I don't think you necessarily started training with the thing of I'm gonna do the relay. It was training to get fitter and stronger. But what made you say yes?

SPEAKER_00 8:18

I think it was group sync. No, just everyone okay. You have been on my shoulder and in my ear a little bit, not pursuing it, but you're bringing out that athletic girl in me, that athlete. And obviously, I wouldn't have really known about high rocks without you explaining. Obviously, I would have found out some way. But you going through the process doing many races yourself, shall I say, and then you talking about it has really helped break it down so that I feel like it's achievable kind of thing. So that's one of the reasons, and there's other challenges that I've set myself professional with my kids and family and things, but that physical challenge, that challenge for my fitness, I had never set anything. So that was something I was really interested and excited about. And then also the thing with me is that if I think too much about something, I'll think myself out of doing it. I think that first one I did it without thinking too much about it, and then I think this December one as well, I I did this. But yeah, and actually these past few weeks, it's been a bit stressful, but really busy. And I was thinking, if I could make that decision again, would I have done it for this time? I may have pushed it back or done it again some time next year, but it's here now. We're gonna do it.

SPEAKER_01 9:35

And you're gonna do well because I think actually, if we look at the situation from last time, you were in a similar situation. You had a lot going on with work, you weren't training as consistently as you wanted. And come race day, you showed up and some. So we know that you will show up and do your best, and that's all we can ever do because it's that thing of just preparing and showing up. And as I said to you guys the other week, I did a race a few weeks ago because you guys inspired me listening to the chat we had. I didn't feel ready. And actually I realized if I left it and if I put it off, I would still wouldn't feel ready. So I just needed to get it done because you can think you're prepared, but you just don't know what's down the road at the end of the day. And the perfect situation, the perfect preparation. It may come, but it may not. So are we gonna wait? So well done. And it will be great. I don't worry about you to me. I know that you'll do well. But you know what? A lot of it is, and this is what I think is really great about the group and everybody who's done the relay so far, and even the training, all of you are so much stronger than you realise. And I think actually that goes for most women, especially as we're getting older, not everybody, but some of us question ourselves our physical capability. I know as I we've been in this house for a while, and our bedroom window has a teeny tiny window at the top, and it's beyond where I can reach, so I have to jump to push it open because I'm I'm not even five foot three. And when we moved into this house over 10 years ago, I used to jump because I was how old would I be? Mid-30s, jump to push that window, no problem. But if you see me now, even with my training, I'm jumping, but it's definitely not the same. And over the years, as I'm feeling the change in how I'm having to open the window, it has brought up some questions. Like you said, you feel slower, you feel different. And therefore, what am I capable of? And actually, before I did high rocks, I knew I was quite weak. But training and doing stuff, you realize that you can do more than you think you can, and that's been the case with you and everybody else. So you'll be fine. But also, I wanted to say with our Wednesday groups, what I absolutely love is the conversations that we have. We have had some just amazing, inspiring, uplifting conversations as we are walking and running in the background. And one of the things that we spoke about, I hope you don't mind me sharing this, was actually the role that our mothers played in how we're showing up now. And I'll let you share what you want to share about that. But my mum has always been active and she's part of the group and you know her. And I was an athlete in my teens until I went to university. So movement was always part of my life. But then I just stopped after I finished uni. And subconsciously, you're doing your thing and you think you're doing, but in the background, my mum was going to classes and doing stuff. And now I'm a mum, I appreciate that more for the subconscious programming, the subconscious modeling.

SPEAKER_00 12:36

What she was modeling.

SPEAKER_01 12:37

Yeah, modelling. Thank you. Of what was happening. That now I've had a lot of moments. I think I've told you this over the last two years in particular. I don't know if it's hitting mid-40s. I'm having flashbacks as to my mum at my age now. I remember different conversations, different things that were happening, and I remember thinking she was quite old. And I'm like, no, but not old now. I I don't feel old. But to the kids, we are really old. Yeah. So it is about what are we doing that they might have passed down that can go on.

SPEAKER_00 13:09

That's really uh interesting. I know what we were talking about. So my family, I'm originally from Ghana, and Ghana generally is a matriarchical society, so the lineage is generally from the grandmother, mother, and the daughter. And I had the opportunity to audition to deliver a speech, and I thought I wanted to talk about the women in my family, from my grandmother to my mother to myself, and how character traits from my grandmother have gone through to my mother and then through to myself. And during the process of writing the talk, I did a lot of research speaking to my uncles and aunties about my grandmother. So my grandmother died when I was quite young. I think I must have been about eight or nine when she died, and then my grandfather died a few months after that. I remember her vividly. There's certain memories that I have of my grandmother when she came to London with my grandpa, and they're quite vivid memories, but I didn't know her as a woman, as an individual, as a woman growing up in Begro in the eastern region of Ghana, and marrying my grandfather, who was a chief of a village in that region. And I wanted to find out about her life and then how that impacted how my mother was brought up. So, anyway, long story. But I did a lot of research about her, I did some research about my mother because my mother passed away 17 years ago now when I was pregnant with my first son. So it's just really interesting how it's helped me identify certain traits in myself, and what I shared with you is also what I shared with my partner. And he's been holding the mirror to my face as to this is what you told me about your grandmother, this is what you told me about your mother, and this is what is showing up in you. You are those women, and it's just a really interesting experience. It's not over, I didn't get to do the talk, it's still there. But to your point, in terms of how it shows up in our children and what we do on a day-to-day basis, not what we tell our children to do, but what we show our children or how we live our lives in front of our children really shows up and for the good and the bad. So now my boys are teenagers, I'm really seeing that manifest. Actually, just this morning I was having a conversation again with my partner about how we show up for our kids in terms of the work we do. I worked in corporate for many years and as a contractor, and my boys saw me do that. They saw me working for some of the big brands that they're familiar with, and it's quite interesting for them. They're quite wowed by the fact that their mum, who's everyday mom stuff, is working for these organizations, but I now work pretty much for myself for an organization that I'm very passionate about, sporting female marketers across the Africa region, and they can see the difference in my working for a corporate organization and in my working for myself and doing something I'm really passionate about. And I think that's really important. Show them that you're doing something that you love doing, which will then help them make the decision to do something that they love doing rather than going down a certain route, which is they're being conditioned or society's telling them to go down. So these past few years I've really seen how there's a phrase for it when you're modelling behaviour, teach them by how you live your life.

SPEAKER_01 16:44

By example.

SPEAKER_00 16:45

Yeah, teach by example, yeah, show them by example.

SPEAKER_01 16:48

There's also the point that you were saying that when you were doing your relay race, that you said that they'd never seen you run. And that's something that I remembered. I don't know if my kids had seen me run, maybe short distances, but not competitively, definitely not. They've seen their dad, he's been competing forever. And it's how they then perceive you. It's that shifting, not just mum. Not that that's a bad thing, but mum is perceived and experienced in a certain environment, in a certain way, and then you take us out of our environment and put us somewhere else where it's familiar, not necessarily familiar to us, but you've been training, but they haven't seen you train and they don't know what you're doing when you leave home.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

Yeah, and that was really interesting. And I think yeah, you're right in that it shifted their perception of who is mum. And mom mum is an individual all by herself, like before she was mum. And the thing is, my boys are very sporty, they compete outside of school. One plays rugby, the other one plays basketball, and all these things that you've been telling me about your nutrition, your exercise, and stretching and things like that, they've been doing anyway. So now they see mum doing it, they're getting excited about it. So they came to the first high rocks, and like you said, they saw me run for the first. And it was onto our uh trip back that they mentioned that they'd never seen me run, and it completely blew my mind. I was thinking, what have they been seeing? What have I been showing them? So it was great to have them there, and great that they can see a different side of mum. Whatever that does to them, I hope in a substantive modeling that I'm doing for them. I'm sure it is.

SPEAKER_01 18:22

I'm sure it will be. So going back to your earlier point, because as you were talking about the three generations and the research that you were doing, again, our conversation had me thinking that again, I've just mentioned my mum's movement, her consistency in what she was doing, which I didn't necessarily see, but I knew that she left and she went out to do classes or whatever, like two, three times a week. And then when I went to uni, she started jogging every morning, which again I remember when she told me, I remember thinking, I never thought my mum would do that. And she was consistent. She'd go out with a friend or two every morning for years and years until one of them, I think, got knee problems or something, but it lasted about 10 years. But our conversation also reminded me and made me think of my relationship with my grandmother. I spent a summer with her when I was 16. She lived in Canada and I went there for the summer. Yeah. And that turned out to be a summer of coming of age. Like I did lots of things for the first time. And actually, my mum reminded me that was the first time I traveled alone. Because I've been telling everybody, my first solo trip was only two years ago in 23. My mum looked at me, she said, How old were you when you went to Granny's because I was 16? She said, Did anybody go with you? No, they didn't. I traveled on my own. And I stayed with her, and then my mum had a friend that she went to school with that I then went to visit and spent time with. And I remember traveling across Toronto to get to her. They picked me up the first time, but then the second time I went, I did two buses all on my own. And I remember when I got there being so excited and so proud of myself that at 16, I had done that in a different country. I'm sure my grandmother and I don't even know if she told my mum, but my grandmother must have been having kitten, but she let me go. And there was that sense of achievement. But actually, my grandmother died in 2004, and that summer we got so close. She used to come over for six months, and honestly, it was a little bit of an inconvenience for myself and my brother. We had probably too much information, but we had separate rooms, and then when she came over for six months, I had to go and share with him. And I really didn't like that too much. I was just A, sharing with my brother and B. I'm like, granny, I love you, but you've come in for quite a long time. And at that age, I think 12, 30, you didn't appreciate it. But spending that time with her, seeing who she was, I think I told you I'll share this quickly, but I went to church with her and I grown up in the church at home, and their church was actually the agape church, which is started by somebody called Michael Beckwith, who in the last 20 years I've become really familiar with. And I went to that church and I sat in that front row. She made me sit in the front. I was like, I don't want to sit in the front. And he did a sermon. And I remember thinking, Oh my gosh, if this is what church can be, not that my church was bad, I don't mind coming regularly because it was uplifting. He was talking about things at 16 I could relate to. But it turns out my mother told me when my grandmother died, she helped him set up that church in Toronto. And that's why we were in the front because she was a very important member of the community. And again, my grandmother moved to Toronto on her own after my grandfather died in her 50s. And can you imagine what that must have been like back in the I think she moved late 70s? She was a married woman, we don't moving to another country, creating a life for herself. And actually I I reflect on things, especially things that have happened to me in the last two years. And just in terms of my own journey of solo travel and self discovery and the high rocks and whatever else I've been doing. And I feel like it's her this sounds very cliched and a bit heavy. But I actually believe it with all my heart that it's what she modeled that I didn't even know, but she'd taken on somehow subconsciously. And maybe just her letting me do that journey.

SPEAKER_00 22:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:20

Maybe that was her thing, you need to go and and be independent. I don't know. Maybe I'm reading into it. But if you look back on all these little things that are now actually quite big and formative experiences and what that then means to who I am now. And that's what I think is so special. There's these little seeds that were laid 30 years ago. Actually have been dormant for me until the last few years and now they're coming out.

SPEAKER_00 22:53

Yeah. I would definitely agree there the spirit kind of carries through and just as you're saying that look I think that it's not until we get to this age and with there's changes going on in our lives that we then look back and identify those character traits and how they're showing up in us now. But I feel like there were probably parts of that spirit that were in you from the beginning and they maybe showed up in different ways but maybe you weren't aware of them because and maybe you didn't recall the story. I know for myself that and people have said that that I've always had that strong woman kind of spirit that my grandmother had and I think it's now as I'm going through various changes and I did the research and things that I'm identifying those things that I did were actually part of her spirit in me that kind of showed up and it's really interesting and it's really comforting I think to know that they are actually with you. You hear people saying call on your spirits call on your ancestors and things when you're going through stuff but then they are actually still living within you to help you go through whatever you're going through. Just as you're talking I was just remembering you went on your first solar trip at 16 yeah there's two things actually one the fact that you did that trip on your own and how long did you spend with your grandma?

SPEAKER_01 24:13

A month.

SPEAKER_00 24:14

A month I feel like everyone if given the opportunity should do that. Go and stay with an elder for as long as they're a good but yeah I think everyone should do that. I was born in the UK but I went to live with my grandma for about three years from three months to about three years old and then I came back to the UK. I obviously don't remember that but I wish that I had something like that. Go and stay with an elder just learn about them let them tell you everything but not even tell you everything but just see how they live ask them questions. I think it's such an important kind of write a passage and I can see in you how you've used that experience to identify straits in yourself and connecting the dots really and I think it's so important if we can get the opportunity to do that.

SPEAKER_01 25:02

Definitely now I look back at that time and my grandmother and I just think if I'm struggling I'm like this woman in her 50s so she wasn't young and remember 50 when you I say remember like I know but what I perceive when a woman in her 50s in late 70s early 80s you've got a lot of societal constraints and expectations and programming of what is right and acceptable. But she did that but also if I've got a challenge now I'm like it's really not that bad in the scheme of things. So I think of her and it resets me stop moaning it's really not that bad. Like you say the ancestors have gone through harder things it's not bad. And I think for me that's something really important that I'm trying to teach my children especially my daughter that where we have worked so hard to try and give them better than us the best education the tuition whatever we can give them they are not challenged in the same way and inadvertently we have removed some of the developmental really important experiences not intentionally but the things that will make them grow and realize what they're capable of. I feel like this is another conversation but I was talking to somebody about that a little while ago and now as a result of it I'm quite intentional. We are quite intentional at creating certain situations that encourage them to step up and experience things when they don't want to because they will benefit. And the most recent example is my daughter going on German exchange and that was a thing people like oh my God you're going to send her to somebody you don't know in another country for a week and times are different. I did that growing up but we didn't have the same challenges and safety concerns that we do now. And she cried she was like you're sending me off to be murdered and my husband were like no you're going to do this and I will caveat that we also decided to do it because we have a friend in Berlin. So if anything happened we knew there was somebody who could get to her quickly regardless of that it was the thing that you don't want to do is the thing you should do and you're going to do and she went off not very happy worried understandably and came back like it was the best thing. I loved it. I'm so glad I did it and I was like pardon you're like yes okay and again it was teaching her the things that she didn't think she could do be first and foremost without her friendship group and secondly just in a different country and speak the language I did doubt whether or not pushing her was that thing but I know I got so much from it when I did mine and if we don't do these things with our kids they're going to miss big opportunities I think.

SPEAKER_00 27:36

Yeah no absolutely and I've had the same thing before with my boys as well and is it a generational thing is it these Gen Zs I've had so many conversations in the marketing and advertising and media sphere around Gen Z's and how they just look at the world differently they're a different species but it's that thing that you're talking about I've had it with my boys in terms of then doing the Duke of Edinburgh expeditions and things like that. Zach initially came home from school with a piece of paper saying oh mum here's the form for Duke of Edinburgh don't force me to go you just read it but you're not allowed to force me to go. When I was in secondary school my parents made a way for me to go on every single school trip there was and I loved it. I wanted to go it was something exciting to do other than go to school so I love those trips. So in my mind yes of course you're going to go on the school trip I'm going to make a way to make it happen and it's really good that we push them but you're right in that this generation they don't want to do as much sometimes they don't see the point in engaging in these activities or school trips just to push themselves. I think when I was younger I didn't see it as a way to challenge myself.

SPEAKER_01 28:51

I thought it was just a fun trip to go on but I think we saw it as an opportunity not everybody could do it or you just didn't know if you'd be able to do it again. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:05

And all the opportunities are online or on your phone or something there there's those in life in real life kind of opportunities they don't seem as interested to see other parts of the the world or see things wider than their kind of immediate circle sometimes it seems that way but we've got to just do what we need to do and push them because you're right in that they're going to come up against a lot of things as they grow up and if they don't have the resilience or the awareness of how things can be different or just knowledge of the world outside of the immediate circle they they will struggle. So we're doing the right thing. They feel guilty now I'm like okay thank God I was like few they they always love it afterwards you push them and there's all that pushback and things but they come back as actually Zach hated history for his GTS and as part of the program they went on a trip to Germany. He didn't want to go at all he thinks it's gonna be a waste of time in my mind I was thinking okay you're going to Germany maybe the experiential part of it will help you connect with the facts and things you need to learn for history that actually didn't work but he loved the trip. You think going to a place which is about the things that you're studying about will help you connect it didn't work but he loved the trip he got other things out of that we do what we have to do.

SPEAKER_01 30:22

Yeah and I think that's it isn't it it comes back to in a full circle actually with the training and movement. Sometimes just doing the hard things that you don't want to do training or entering that competition thinking you're not ready and you're scared or you're concerned we will get something from it and it's sometimes a thing we need to do and we need to keep reminding ourselves of that.

SPEAKER_00 30:44

You've got to push through you've got to push through your feelings on that sometimes you've got to override your feelings things you you wake up in the morning and you're not feeling like doing this or you don't feel very well or you haven't had a good night's sleep or whatever. But it's learning to override those feelings and do what you need to do. What's that phrase? Show up now for your future self. So whatever you're doing now you reap the benefits in your future self. What do you want your future self to look like? And that's what you need to start implementing now.

SPEAKER_01 31:16

That's so true. Yeah I like that just override it override the feelings get up and go. Easier said than done I guess a million alarms help me help me yeah so thank you so much Andrew before you go I am going to ask you the question I'm asking everybody else and I think is now my question what word represents what movement means to you?

SPEAKER_00 31:38

Life I think movement means life because we are alive we're human beings and the fact that we can move we can transport ourselves off our own steam from one place to another and you know what it's funny you've asked that question because I've just watched I'm going to share it with you diary of a CEO there's this lady I've forgotten her name now but she's a brain scientist but she recovered from a really bad stroke and the way she talked about the fact that we are alive and we can move and we can do all of these things we can think we can change ourselves through our own actions just really got me fired. Again we need to fully appreciate the fact that we are alive we've got agency we can do what we want and I think for her she lost part of her brain or she couldn't use it for a number of years and the fact that she had some part of her brain meant that she was able to regain the other part of it. So we can regenerate ourselves and movement is a huge part of that we're alive we can do things we can make a change we don't have to stay in one place metaphorically and also physically we can move thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 32:56

Thank you there's a moment in our conversation where Andrea pauses searching for the right words to describe what movement means to her and then she says it life movement means life not just being alive but life with all its agency possibility and power she talks about this brain scientist she watched who recovered from a devastating stroke who reminded her that we can regenerate change transform ourselves through our own actions that we have life in us and movement is how we express it so here's what I'm taking away from Andrew's story and what I hope that you'll carry with you. First, your younger self that athletic girl that person who loved to move they're still in there they're just waiting for an invitation second stop waiting to feel ready. Andrew didn't feel ready for either of her relays. Life was messy training was inconsistent she showed up anyway and every single time she discovered she was capable of more than she believed. Third, you're not doing this alone. Whether you realize it or not you're carrying the strength of the women who came before you Andrea's grandmother my grandmother your grandmother they're still living through the choices we make the challenges we accept the lives we model for the next generation what will our sons and daughters carry from us and finally what you do matters more than what you say. Andrea's sons didn't learn about resilience from lectures they learned it by watching their mum book a race she wasn't ready for, train through stress and doubt and cross that finish line anyway What are your children learning by watching you live? So here's my challenge to you this week what does how you're moving say about you right now and how can you move differently? How can you override those feelings that keep you comfortable and small and do something that makes you feel bold and powerful because here's the truth Andrew reminded me we're alive we can move we can transport ourselves from one place to another through our own power. We don't have to stay where we are not physically not metaphorically not ever that's not just movement that's life. If this conversation moved you share it with someone who needs to hear it. Leave a review it helps more women find these stories and if you're in London on a Wednesday evening come join us at the park for a run. Fair warning though Andrew might suggest sprints for dessert until next time remember show up now for your future self show up now for your children you're stronger than you know your ancestors are with you and movement means life. Keep moving keep being bold keep showing up live your best life