Helen’s feet of endurance
Strictly star is set to be in blistering form
STRICTLY star Helen Skelton should definitely be able to put her best feet forward on the dance show – as she once wrote a guide about looking after them.
The Countryfile presenter became an expert in self healthcare after taking part in a string of gruelling all-action challenges, including marathons and mountain climbs.
She wrote: “My feet were probably the most important piece of kit I had, so it was important I looked after them.”
Blister pads and tape were crucial when she smashed the 78-mile Namibian Ultra Marathon in 2009.
It is considered one of the world’s toughest races – possibly even more difficult than winning the Strictly Glitterball – but Helen, 39, refused to consider quitting.
She recalled: “My blisters were so big the race doctor had to pop them with a scalpel... I thought about telling people I had failed. And that hurt more than my feet.”
The former Blue Peter presenter also revealed the ultra marathon took such a toll that all of her nails “just pinged off my toes”.
She added: It didn’t hurt, but it looked awful. I was quite proud of what I had been through, so I used to freak people out by asking them if they could guess what I was hiding in my purse. Don’t judge me. After all that running I deserved some fun.”
Helen recently split with her rugby player husband Richie Myler so will be juggling her Strictly stint with raising her three kids, Ernie, seven, Louis, five, and Elsie, eight months.
But if her book, Wild Girl, is anything to go by, she is more than up for the challenge.
Helen wrote: “The race showed me that sometimes you just have to keep your head down and plough on, using the highs to get you through the lows.”
Sounds like her Strictly rivals will need to keep on their toes.