Molly Smith says lifting weights has transformed her “slender” body and she is proud of her “feminine shape.”
The Love Island: All Stars winner, 29, told MailOnline that going to the gym is ‘therapy’ for her mental health – and revealed she ran laps around the villa pool in South Africa to ensure she kept doing exercise.
In an exclusive interview, Molly insisted she trains because she loves to challenge herself and the physical impact exercise has on her toned body is simply a “bonus.”
Molly says she and her boyfriend Tom Clare, 24, have bonded over their enthusiasm for sport and the footballer even surprised her by booking an extreme activity for them to do together to celebrate his upcoming 30th birthday.
She said: ‘When I was younger I was always slimmer and wanted to have a slightly more feminine shape.
Molly Smith says lifting weights has transformed her ‘slim’ body and she’s proud of her ‘feminine shape’
The Love Island: All Stars winner told MailOnline that going to the gym is ‘therapy’ for her mental health, and revealed she would run laps around the villa pool to ensure she kept exercising.
In an exclusive interview, Molly insisted she trains because she loves to challenge herself and the physical impact exercise has on her toned body is simply a “bonus.”
‘Now I lift weights, I like running, I’ve done some CrossFit training, a Hyrox competition, I love a challenge and I enjoy doing anything that makes me feel good.
‘I don’t run or lift weights to have a better body, I do what I love… I’ve done Pilates, yoga, I love everything that has to do with fitness. The way it shapes my body is a plus, but I do it because I love it… and I’m proud of that.
‘The gym is like therapy, it makes me feel better, the fact that it keeps me in shape is an advantage. I love going, I feel better, I fell in love with running last year… when I was in the villa I used to run laps and laps around the pool.’
Molly, who underwent breast augmentation in 2021, is preparing to bare her bikini body when she flies to Dubai on Sunday, on holiday for the first time with her boyfriend Tom.
And it will be a special trip for multiple reasons, as the couple plans to spend time with Tom’s stewardess sister and make memories that will last a lifetime when they go skydiving.
The reality star said jumping out of a plane was on her 30 bucket list at the end of April and the new man in her life wanted to make sure she achieved her goal.
She explained: ‘On Sunday we are going on holiday together to Dubai.
“Tom’s sister lives there, she’s a stewardess, I met her briefly because she comes back to Manchester from time to time, but now we’re going to Dubai and we have a lot of things planned. “I can’t wait to spend that quality time together.
Molly said she’s always been “on the thinner side,” but exercising regularly, including CrossFit classes and weight lifting, has helped her increase her muscle mass (pictured in May 2019).
She says the way fitness training has helped shape her body is a “plus” and spends time in the gym to improve her mental health and wellbeing (pictured in April 2019).
Molly is preparing to bare her bikini body when she flies to Dubai on Sunday, on holiday for the first time with her boyfriend Tom.
She won Love Island: All Stars earlier this year with Tom, beating her ex-boyfriend Callum Jones to the title.
“I had a 30 before 30 list that I was trying to tick off and I ended up on Love Island, so it put me back a bit, but one of them was doing a skydive, which Tom has organized for when we’re in Dubai… I can’t wait and see how I deal with it.”
Molly’s 30th birthday plans don’t end there: she and Tom’s families gather for a celebratory meal before she flies to Las Vegas for a weekend of partying with her closest friends.
He added: “It’s my birthday at the end of this month and we’re going to a family dinner, so my parents are going to meet Tom’s family, that will be a great moment.”
‘For my 30th we’re going to Las Vegas, which is booked…poor Tom is going to stay home because it’s a girls’ trip. We’ll be in Las Vegas and Los Angeles for a few days and I’m getting ready to party.
Molly won Love Island: All Stars earlier this year with Tom, beating her ex-boyfriend Callum Jones to the title, who came in second place with Jess Gale.
ITV2 viewers were hoping to see Molly reconcile with Callum, but the unique experience of living together in a confined environment like the Love Island villa saw the pair become good friends.
Molly said: “I learned a lot about myself… when you go on Love Island you don’t expect to live with an ex, even if I suspected that might be the case… I knew there might be something.” They overlap, but living with an ex-boyfriend for so long… it was an experience, let’s put it that way.
“I don’t mind talking about Callum, but I do want it to be over because other people with exes can move on, but we’re friends, there’s no animosity or bad vibes.
Molly is the new ambassador of the jewelry and accessories brand Abbott Lyon and has created a collection inspired by the necklaces she wore in the Love Island villa
In tribute to her dog, Molly wore a collar that spelled ‘Nelly’ in Arabic, which she refused to take off while starring on the show.
There is nothing bitter or bitter between us. We respect each other, which I hope has shown, and our relationship didn’t end badly either. There has never been mutual hatred.
Molly is the new ambassador for jewelery and accessories brand Abbott Lyon and has created a collection inspired by the necklaces she wore in the Love Island villa.
In tribute to her dog, Molly wore a necklace that spelled ‘Nelly’ in Arabic, which she refused to take off while starring on the show, and now fans of the sentimental network can have their own.
She said: ‘This collection means a lot to me because these are things I wore during my stay in the villa and I actually couldn’t take them off.
‘I had a collar that I wore every day in the village, it was my dog’s name in Arabic writing, I used it constantly. And the range is the same, sentimental pieces that will mean a lot to people and will also make fantastic gifts.’
- Abbott Lyon x Molly Smith, Spring Signature Looks launches on abbottlyon.com on Sunday, April 7. Introducing New Arabic Name Necklaces Available From £79