Why I Choose To Compete at Age 47.
- emmakatec
- Feb 20
- 2 min read
Discovering Strength in Midlife
Keeping fit and getting strong is something that is pretty new to me. Less than two years ago, at a low point in my life, I picked up a barbell at Patch Fitness for the first time - and I was genuinely amazed by how good a strength session made me feel. It wasn’t just about the physical benefits; lifting weights gave me a sense of accomplishment, control, and newfound confidence. Fast forward to today, and I’m about to start a personal training course so I can share the incredible benefits of strength training and fitness with more midlife women. If I can do it, anyone can!
Embracing Competition - Even When It’s Unexpected
Although I’ve always been pretty driven to achieve well in my own life (Perfectionist-In-Recovery right here!), signing up for my first fitness competition last year was actually quite random. The idea of pushing my heart rate to the maximum has never been my idea of fun (yoga was much more my style), but knowing that personal growth is one of my core values, I bit the bullet anyway. And I’m so glad I did! Competing in Tough Mudder and The Butterfly Effect in 2024 showed me how fun it can be to work in a team, to push myself beyond my perceived limits, and to prove that I’m capable of more than I ever imagined.
Age is Just a Number - Why I Want to Keep Competing
Even though I often notice I'm one of the older competitors at these events, that really doesn’t matter to me. So far this year, I’ve competed in the Winter Turf Games and have Tough Mudder, The Butterfly Effect, and Battle Cancer all penciled in for 2025. Perhaps there'll be a cheeky Hyrox in there too! Will training for each one hurt a little, or even a lot? Probably - I am nearly 48, after all and I definitely have my share of aches and pains! But rather than seeing that as a limitation, I choose to see it as motivation - a reminder of how important it is to keep moving, keep challenging myself, and appreciate all that my body is still capable of achieving!
If you’ve ever thought about trying something new, challenging yourself, or stepping outside your comfort zone, I say go for it! You might just surprise yourself x
