Years before I ever opened the doors at Bua, I was working as a self-employed personal trainer and every Thursday night, I would run a circuit class at a local gym.
There was a group of four women who were regulars at the class, who then started doing group personal training with me. They came to me with an idea one day to run their first marathon together. None of them had any real running in their background and the marathon was 12 weeks away. They asked if it was possible and I told them not really, but I had an experimental program that broke all the rules but could possibly work. I told them the training was going to be brutal for the next 12 weeks and they wouldn’t actually do much distance running. They all agreed to be guinea pigs and we went for it.
What followed was 12 weeks of heavy lifting (lots of heavy lifting), absolutely brutal sprint intervals, and some CrossFit workouts. 12 weeks later they all completed the marathon with finishing times to be proud of. As I look back, it was pretty incredible what they achieved. Their individual toughness getting through training was very impressive, but how they stuck together as a group was equally inspiring. 17 years later, two of those women are still members at Bua, and I married the third.
And that brings me to why I’m writing this today. One of those women, Gillian Campbell, turns 50 this week and it’s fair to say she’s an exceptional 50-year-old. Since 2009, I have watched her show up relentlessly. And it’s not just her consistency that’s impressive. It’s how she shows up.
She is always friendly and kind. She is always coachable. She is always straight and honest, and if you don’t let her get hungry, always great fun. She has been the glue holding different groups together over the years while quietly (and not so quietly) driving standards.
Campbells also did something for the rest of us. She ran the experiment…
What happens if you start training in your 30’s and show up for 17 years on the bounce?
Well, for Campbells, the results are in. At 50, she is stronger than she was at 30 (her supposed physical peak). And fitter too. And leaner, and a more skillful mover. And, and, and..the list goes on.
If you asked Campbells for some training wisdom, my guess is she’ll tell you that mobility becomes ever more important, and to remind yourself over and over to keep learning new things. And to keep looking after your friends.
To a great friend, Happy birthday.
