Kathryn’s still fighting fit after 36 years
FooTballer’s wife in a league of her own
and unearthed a passion for fitness that I honestly never thought I’d have.
“At school I was the kind of person to dread PE and would do anything to get out of exercising - yet as an adult I found that I was really enjoying a variety of exercise classes which eventually led me to become a fitness instructor myself. I still teach three classes a week and like to exercise three to four times a week, I just love it! It was at that point I realised I’d changed my whole lifestyle for the better.”
And even a surprise arrival wasn’t about to throw Kathryn off track. She says: “I unexpectedly fell pregnant with my third daughter at the As you can imagine a lot of the wives were very glamorous and when I used to take the girls along to see Joe play I couldn’t help but feel a bit insecure age of 37 - yet this time I was so healthy and active that I didn’t gain lots of weight. In fact, I was back at my target weight within six weeks of Gabrielle’s arrival without any added pressure or restrictive eating - I just continued my healthy habits as usual. By that point it was just a way of life and I knew no different.
“I now have four wonderful grandchildren to keep me busy and I love being a happy, active and healthy grandma to them. If anything, they struggle to keep up with me. I can honestly say I feel better now in my 60s than I did when I was in my 20s.”
Losing weight sparked another passion for Kathryn - helping others to achieve their own weight-loss dreams. She says: “I’d had a brief spell as a consultant back in the 80s, and I still wanted to have a go at running my own Slimming World group. I’d done so much during my years ‘at target’ that I was keen to help other people to achieve their dreams.
“I’ve now been a consultant for eight years and it really fills me with pride to know I’ve helped so many people. I’ve seen people conceive as a result of losing weight, reduce their diabetes medication and blossom into the confident happy people they were always meant to be.
“Weight maintenance is a difficult thing to master, and it’s something I couldn’t have achieved without the support of my consultant and my own Slimming World group. To know that I’m helping other people to do the same really is the best feeling in the world.”