Louise Minchin admits she didn’t regain her love of sport until she was 45
‘I gave up for almost 30 years’: Louise Minchin admits she didn’t regain her love of sports until she was 45 because she ‘hated’ her physique as a teenager
Louise Minchin said she hated her physique while playing sports at school and stopped participating for three decades before rediscovering it at age 45.
The former BBC Breakfast presenter, 54, took up endurance sports after competing in a Christmas cycling challenge for the broadcaster in 2012 and has gone on to compete internationally for the GB triathlon team in her age group.
However, Minchin told Runners World UK it’s “very sad” that she stopped exercising for 30 years before rekindling her passion for exercise.
She said, “I loved sports in school and did everything from netball to volleyball, although I was never good at running.
“I was the best at swimming, but when I was about 15 I looked at myself in the mirror one day and saw these big muscular shoulders and didn’t like them; I literally stopped training and racing there.
Opening: Louise Minchin said she hated her physique during school sports and stopped participating for three decades before rediscovering it at age 45
“I gave up the sport for almost 30 years, which was very sad in retrospect. It wasn’t until I was 45 that I rediscovered my love for sports.
‘It was in 2012 and the BBC Breakfast team organized a challenge on the Olympic velodrome.
‘I had never been on a cycle path or road bike before, but I crossed the finish line in front of 4,000 people and said: ‘Wow!’ I had forgotten how much I loved sports.
“Shortly after that I bought a road bike and did my first triathlon a year later.”
Minchin is currently training to complete her first London Marathon on April 23.
Getting involved: The former BBC Breakfast presenter, 54, took up endurance sports after taking part in a Christmas cycling challenge for the broadcaster in 2012
Hard at work: Minchin is currently training to complete her first London Marathon on April 23
She said: ‘I hope it’s third time lucky and I can run the London Marathon for the first time this year.
‘Injury has denied me twice – once with a foot problem and most recently my knee – but I managed to do the virtual one when I was fit.
“Last November I started training from scratch after knee (surgery) with the Couch to 5K program, so it will be a long way back to complete the full 42.2 miles.”
Read the full interview with Louise Minchin in the April issue of Runner’s World UK, on sale 1 March.
Read all about it: Read the full interview with Louise Minchin in the April issue of Runner’s World UK, on sale 1 March