How lockdown inspired Lisa Hussain to transform her life – and lose nine stone in the process.

Gail Gibson, 51, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

“Growing up as a bigger child I got bullied and was always having adults tell me to lose weight. In adulthood I got married, had three children and I’ve just eaten my way through my emotions. When my nephew was christened in 2016, I felt so uncomfortable at a whopping 23 stone 4lb that I kept my coat on the whole time.

I eventually plucked up the courage to go to my local slimming group. But the looks of disappointment on the faces of people around me when I didn’t lose enough weight was soul destroying.

When we went into lockdown I couldn’t climb the stairs without being out of breath. But I started walking for 30 minutes a day and the difference was amazing. I lost three stone in three months by counting calories and walking more. Since I stumbled across Country Walking and joined the challenge on 10th January I haven’t looked back. I’ve lost nine stone so far!

I’ve still got another two, maybe three to go and will hopefully have lost it by the end of the year.

Doing #walk1000miles has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve made some wonderful friends and it makes me so determined to keep walking every day. Everyone is so positive and encouraging, it’s really lovely to be part of it. I also took part in the 500,000 Steps in March Challenge for CLIC Sargent, and now I’m also training to climb Snowdon in July, raising money for Children with Cancer UK. I wouldn’t have done any of this had I not lost weight and found my love for walking! If you’re anything like me, believe in yourself and don’t give up. Perseverance is the key.”

We moved here from the UK in 2018. My husband and I travelled through South East Asia for more than 20 years. We love the culture, climate, people and food of Malaysia. We have jungle, parks and streets for walking here, but we miss the countless footpaths in the UK.

My favourite walk is a jungle and quarry walk. There are good paths across streams, along lakes and under tree canopies. It’s a popular place for weekend hiking and mountain-biking and there are great views across Johor Bahru.

As well as birds, we can spot macaque monkeys, wild dogs and snakes on our walks. The climate is tropical, humid and hot, and one thing I love about being part of #walk1000miles is seeing the seasonal photos from the UK and other countries. We don’t get seasons here! It feels great to be part of a global community.