HEALTH HERO

CATE BLATCH, 47

For someone who didn’t really get physical until she was in her 30s, Cate’s been making up for lost time; running marathons, cycling up to 200km a week, and teaching movement classes to older people in her local community.

I couldn’t even run around my local park without stopping when I was in my 30s, but I got it into my head that I wanted to run the City2Surf. So I slowly built up my fitness. I’ve always been someone who wants to challenge myself and do better and better. Once I ran the City2Surf, I just kept on running and did about five half marathons and a marathon.

I absolutely love exercising, it’s my kind of medicine. If I don’t do it each day then I really miss that rush it gives me. I get up at 5 o’clock in the morning and cycle − I probably do around 150 to 200 kilometres a week. Then during the day I also go to the gym and I’m learning how to play tennis.

I find that when I’m running or riding I don’t think of anything else that’s going on in my life except what I’m doing – it’s really relaxing. I also felt the need to do some sort of community service, so I volunteered to run a strength and balance class for older adults at the local community centre.

I’ve got one lady who is 94. A lot of the people in the class are on walkers or are quite frail. Our class might be their one social outing for the week.

You can see the change in them from when they start – they have more confidence getting out of a chair. The whole idea of these classes is to help them stay mobile so they can stay at home and not have to move into care. A lot of them don’t have any other physical contact with anyone. After the class we make lunch and then play trivia games.

They just want to have a conversation.

I’ve been teaching at the community centre for four years now and I have never felt more wanted, needed and loved. When I am their age, I’d like to still be able to exercise and do all the things they’re doing.

“When I’m exercising I don’t think about anything else – it’s relaxing. It’s like my medicine.”