‘Exercise is a way for me to manage my schedule and mental health’
Mini Marathon ambassador Aimee Connolly on why running is in her makeup
WOMEN all over the country have started to gear up for this year’s VHI Women’s Mini Marathon which is set to take place on June 2 at 12.30pm. And in a new survey by VHI, women across the country said running made them feel better in different stages of life.
In the survey of 500 people, 77 per cent said running makes them feel better during menstruation while 68% said running helped with their post-birth recovery. And 60 per cent said their daily run helped overcome the symptoms of menopause and perimenopause.
Makeup entrepreneur Aimee Connolly is one of those who will be putting her best foot forward for the Mini Marathon this year.
It will be her third time taking part in the 10km run but the businesswoman wouldn’t miss it for the world.
In fact, there’s even a running club at the Sculpted By Aimee offices where the team go out for a lunchtime jog to get them away from the laptops for half an hour.
‘For me personally first and foremost exercise is a game changer in terms of how I manage my schedule and how I manage my head,’ Aimee says. ‘The mental benefits completely outweigh the physical benefits for me in terms of just balancing a hectic schedule and trying to keep some sort of consistency but also to keep you feeling good and giving you energy.
‘I think as a business we are very fast-paced and we are very busy and there are a lot of like minded people in the team like me so the running club was a natural suggestion - actually from the team. In general we are quite active and we love the social element. Particularly during work it is very much about getting out,getting air getting a distraction from the laptop for half an hour.’
Obviously three years in Aimee’s running times are improving as she puts in more miles but the lunchtime running club isn’t about times and who is fastest.
‘It is a very supportive environment whether you are at a slower pace or are faster, no one is out to win a race during our weekly run club. I try not to put much work into it but we might talk about life events and things like that.’
Sometimes, though, work might seep into the running conversation but the circuit can also be a way of working things out and discussing issues.
‘It is a really positive thing for the social connection too particularly with hybrid working,’ says Aimee. ‘We have a lot of remote workers and these events are a great way to bring people together, much like getting family and friends together to train for the VHI Mini Marathon.’
Aimee is encouraging all women to get their runners on and walk, jog or run the 10km course in aid of their favourite charity.
‘I thought last year was great but I found the heat tough,’ Aimee says of the sweltering June conditions in 2023. ‘It was really warm. I had pouring rain the first year which I really quite enjoyed, and then I had last year in the desert sun which was really unexpected,’ she says, laughing.
‘My mom did it as well so I caught up with her at the end. It was a lovely day, some of my friend did it as well and we made an afternoon out of it.’
Aimee will run again this year in aid of the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association after her mother Clare’s partner Phil passed away from the illness in 2022.
It’s the same condition that affects Charlie Bird, and Clare nursed Phil through his illness after being together for eight years.
‘I think that will always be my charity of choice because Phil was such a big part of my mam’s life and having been through it with someone is all you want is to try and support the research so that no one else has to go through that.’
Aimee’s business has been booming
‘The mental benefits for me outweigh the physical ones’
as Sculpted By Aimee has grown into one of the go-to brands for women of all ages. Its quality yet affordable products have been created to cater for all women and as such, Sculpted By Aimee has become a brand leader, now with stand-alone stores of its own.
And outside business, things have also been busy as in August Aimee married her long-term partner John Greene in France.
She doesn’t feel like marriage has changed for them, but admits she’s not used to calling John her husband.
‘The wedding feels like about five years ago now unfortunately for my poor husband who saw me more before the wedding than he does now,’ she says, laughing.
‘We had a great time though. It definitely does change things the first few weeks after the wedding I thought ‘Oh my god it feels weird you’re my husband.’ I still feel far too young to be married even though I am the prime age for it and I run my own business. I don’t know what it is, it just feels so ‘adulty’ but the more we get back into the rhythm of life the more things feel normal. Getting married is a big step but life feels normal now and it’s lovely.’
As Scuplted By Aimee expands, those runs and training sessions become all the more important to keep the many pressures of running a business at bay.
‘I think every entrepreneur is probably a natural risk taker as you kind of have to be,’ Aimee says. ‘Even when you are starting a business there is an unknown, there is a chance it could fail and if you think too much about all that you would never start anything.
‘I’m not saying I act recklessly — particularly now I have a bigger business and the responsibility of having a team and the decisions we make have a bigger impact. But I generally go with my gut. And sometimes you do make mistakes but you learn from them so that isn’t always a bad thing.’
Looking after people who work with her is important too.
‘The fact that I genuinely care about them and feel responsibility towards my workforce is something I am quite happy about because I would hate not to have any compassion or empathy. I think it’s something you have to be mindful of. But the more you build a team around you the less you feel that it is just you. I am the leader but they are part of the decision-making. I can sound things out with them and they are a good support to me in terms of my leadership. It all builds steadily together.’
Despite the fact that business is booming, Aimee still feels she has more to do. ‘It is something I would never be complacent about — we have loads left to do and that continuous improvement is so important to stay focused on.
‘In terms of what has happened to date we have been very true to who we are as a brand in a very busy space so we aren’t trying to be everything to everyone.
‘We know who we are and we have chosen our channels carefully between online retail and now our own stores which we feel really good about.
‘We are only getting started in terms of what’s ahead’
‘And we have managed to maintain a super loyal community by bringing them along on the journey which is a continuous effort and making sure they feel seen and heard.
‘But I am not one to sit back and think ‘job done’. If anything we are only getting started in terms of what is ahead.’
Including women of all ages was always part of the Sculpted By Aimee ethos and in the beginning her pared-back makeup looks were almost out on their own. Now more brands are following suit.
‘The trends back then were very Instagram- led with quite heavy makeup look and then I was coming in saying ‘Less is more, here are a few tweaks we can do with brushes or products for faces of all ages.’
‘That has definitely been a part of us and our identity from the very beginning and it just so happened, particularly on the back of Covid, that this is now a much wider trend. So I am delighted that we are already in that space and that it comes naturally to us.’
With such a cool head on her shoulders, Aimee is a great ambassador for the VHIWMM and will be joined by disability advocate and public speaker Nikki Bradley, TV presenter and model Katja Mia and health and fitness coach Nathalie Lennon. They are calling on women all around the country to join them on June 2 for the largest allfemale event of its kind in the world.
You can follow @VhiWMM on social media or visit vhiwomens minimarathon.ie for training plans for walkers, runners and jogger as well as nutritious recipes developed by Nathalie Lennon, and much more to support your training journey.
Registration for the event is now open on vhiwomensmini marathon.ie. Every participant will receive a Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon finishers medal, and can opt in at registration to receive a Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon t-shirt. Additionally VHI members can claim back their entry fee via the Vhi app.
‘It’s been a privilege to be a Vhi ambassador for the Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon since 2022 and I cannot wait for this year’s event,’ Aimee adds.
‘The atmosphere at last year’s event was incredible and being part of a strong supportive community of women who walked, jogged and ran the sunny streets of Dublin is something I’ll never forget. It’s exciting to be part of a brilliant group of ambassadors for this year’s event.
‘We’ll all be sharing our 12-week journey to race day and hopefully providing some inspiration and motivation along the way. For training plans to suit your own fitness levels, and simple, delicious recipes to fuel your journey to race day, keep an eye on Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon social media channels and website.’