I was on ITV. I watched from behind a cushion.

I’ve spent 30 years putting other people in front of journalists.

Then ITV Meridian turned up at my gym and pointed the camera at me and it suddenly felt completely different! They filmed a piece about my World silver medal for Team GB at the 2026 AWPC World Powerlifting Championships and I was so nervous!

I didn’t see the finished piece before it was broadcast, so when it came on I was literally hiding behind a cushion.

Being filmed lifting heavy things in a gym is kinda okay but watching yourself being filmed lifting heavy things on national television is terrifying I tell you!

After it was aired my phone went a bit bonkers. I’ve received so many fantastic messages since the piece aired, but the ones that have really stayed with me are from women saying it’s made them want to get moving again.

Some of the messages…

“I’ve been putting off going to the gym since forever and your story was just what I needed to get back in there! Thank you!”

“I feel somewhat inspired to get off my arse and try something. And you made me cry!! Such an inspiration!”

That got me. Because yes, the ITV piece was about powerlifting. We talked about winning World silver eight years after my World gold and getting stronger in my 50s.

But I don’t really care whether watching me makes somebody want to powerlift. If it makes one woman think, actually, maybe I could go back to the gym, that matters far more to me.

This year hasn’t exactly been a lovely straight line to a World medal either because as you know in April I went to Nottingham for my first qualifier and failed all three squats. No total and I was out.

Except it wasn’t.

Thirteen days later I went back, qualified, made it to the British Championships and eventually found myself standing on a World Championship podium with a silver medal around my neck.

ITV also managed to squeeze in some of my slightly questionable life choices, including deadlifting outside at -23°C in Svalbard.

As you do.

The strangest thing about all of this is that I don’t particularly think of myself as inspirational. I train. I work. Sometimes things go brilliantly. Sometimes I completely stuff them up and have to go back and try again.

I’m starting to realise that perhaps that’s the point. You don’t have to be extraordinary to start doing something that scares you. And you definitely don’t have to be finished because you’re in your 50s.

As another message said:

“I feel soooooo uplifted just by watching this. I was bloody right when I called you a role model!”

I’m still not entirely comfortable with the role model bit. But if it gets someone off the sofa and back into the gym, I’ll take it.

Thank you ITV Meridian for telling my story.  And THANK YOU to everyone who messaged me afterwards.

Turns out coming out from behind the cushion was worth it