Don’t tell me I can’t…
Think it’s too late to try something new in your 40s? Nicky Collins doesn’t agree…
Learn to paddleboard
The sun is beating down, and my muscles ache as I force the long oar into the water and propel myself forward. as a paddleboarder, you might think I’m a 20-something in peak physical condition. But the truth is, I’m a 43-year-old mum-of-one from Poole. and, while I wouldn’t consider myself an athlete, my new hobby has given me a six-pack…
Despite growing up by the coast, I was never interested in water sports. Back then, I preferred to spend my time and money on clothes, or socialising with friends. If I went to the beach I was more concerned with getting a tan than taking a dip.
But then, aged 26, after saving up my salary from my finance job – where I met my partner, Patrick – I went travelling. It was in Hawaii that I tried surfing for the first time, and I went white-water rafting in New Zealand.
I loved being in the ocean – I couldn’t believe I’d never tried water sports before. But when I returned home, Patrick and I moved to London – and I certainly didn’t fancy taking a dip in the Thames! So, apart from playing netball a couple of times a week, I didn’t do much exercise.
We had our daughter Emily in February 2005, and a year later we got married. Keen to raise our little girl away from the city, we moved back to Poole when she was nine.
Just a few days after we’d settled into our new home, a friend told me she’d taken a few paddleboarding lessons and suggested I give it a try. At first, I was surprised. Yes, I’d seen the people out in the harbour on their boards, but I assumed they were professionals. But my friend explained that I didn’t need any kit – a board and paddle was provided for you – and I could have a private lesson, meaning I wouldn’t embarrass myself in front of anyone. I thought back to my time abroad, and how much I’d loved water sports. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to give it another go.
When I went down to the beach a week later I wasn’t nervous – even when I met my teacher, who was a strapping 20-something with bulging biceps. The sun was shining and, wearing a wetsuit, I wasn’t worried about stretch marks or any lumps and bumps. I just couldn’t wait to get in the water.
I waded out with my rented board and, after a few failed attempts, I managed to stand up. As I paddled around the harbour, it felt amazing to be so close to nature and I didn’t mind when I fell in – after all, I was already wet!
The two-hour lesson seemed to be over within minutes, and it wasn’t until the next day that I realised how much exercise I’d done. Every muscle in my body seemed to ache!
From then on, I was hooked on paddleboarding and, by March 2015, I’d joined a local club. I thought I’d be the oldest person there, but most of the members were my age. I loved paddling around the harbour with my new friends, before stopping for a drink and some snacks on the beach.
Soon, I was paddleboarding three times a week, even in winter. And, for my 41st birthday, Patrick bought me my very own board.
While I started the sport just for fun, it got me in great shape. I’ve dropped two dress sizes from a 14 to a 10 and I don’t think twice about strutting around on the beach in a bikini.
Now I’ve become so addicted to paddleboarding that I compete in races, and I’ve qualified as an instructor, so I can pass on my skills. I’m proof that you’re never too old to try something new.
‘I loved being In the sea’