When I was eight years old, I desperately wanted a pony.
And when I say desperately, I mean I was probably driving my parents completely mad.
But my dad wasn’t the sort of man who would just hand me everything I wanted.
Instead, he gave me a challenge.“If you save up half the money, I’ll pay the other half.”
Right then. Challenge accepted!
I got myself a paper round, sold my toys and saved every penny I could get my hands on.
Eventually, I had enough.
And true to his word, Dad bought me my first pony.
At eight years old, I thought I’d won the lottery.
Looking back now, I realise the pony wasn’t actually the greatest gift he gave me.
It was learning that if I wanted something badly enough, I could find a way to make it happen.
And I think that one little challenge shaped pretty much everything that followed.
My dad worked in the music industry during the 1980s, alongside people like Simon Cowell. Which meant my childhood was, shall we say, rather entertaining!
I went to concerts, saw Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Madonna and Janet Jackson, and even sat on Lionel Richie’s lap.
Not a bad childhood, really. 🤣
But despite all those incredible experiences, Dad never allowed me to think the world owed me anything. He could have given me pretty much everything I asked for, but there was nearly always a catch.
“You can have it, but you have to do this first.”
And rather than putting me off, it seemed to have the opposite effect.
I loved it.
Give me something to work towards, and I was off!
I think Dad probably created a bit of a monster.
Because once I discovered how good it felt to achieve something I’d worked for, I wanted to do it again.
And again.
And again.
Dad funded my riding for years, and anyone who knows anything about horses will appreciate that this was no small financial commitment!
But he never made it easy for me.
Getting the pony was one thing. Looking after it, putting in the hours, improving my riding and working towards the next goal was another.
And I absolutely loved it.
There was always another competition, another challenge, another level I wanted to reach.
Of course, it wasn’t all rosettes and glory.
There were disappointments, mistakes, tears and plenty of days when things went spectacularly wrong.
But I kept going.
And eventually, that little girl with her paper round went on to represent her country and win a team silver medal at the European Championships.
But the medal wasn’t what made it special.
It was knowing exactly how much work, determination and perseverance had gone into getting there.
And I think that’s the bit people sometimes miss. The achievement is wonderful, but the journey is where you discover what you’re really made of.
There was a time when Dad was made redundant.
I remember him promising me that whatever happened, he would never sell my horse.
That was Dad.
But strangely enough, I never really worried about him finding another job.
He’d spent my whole childhood teaching me that hard work, determination and treating people properly would get you a long way in life.
He had a saying that I’ve never forgotten.
“Always be careful how you treat people on the way up, because you might meet them again on the way down.”
And he meant it.
He was brilliant at his job, respected by people and, before long, found another position earning even more than he had before.
I don’t think I appreciated quite how much I was learning from him at the time.
But I certainly do now.
I see so much of Dad’s influence in the way I approach life today.
I’ve run marathons, competed with horses, taken on cycling challenges, built my own business and generally spent a large proportion of my life finding something else to have a go at.
Apparently, sitting still and being satisfied isn’t really my thing!
But I’ve also learnt something else along the way.
Getting somewhere is one thing. Staying there is another.
And that’s particularly relevant to my work as a personal trainer.
People come to me wanting to lose weight, change their body shape, get stronger or feel more confident.
And I absolutely love helping them achieve those goals.
But there’s something even more satisfying than watching someone reach their target.
It’s seeing the person they’ve become in the process.
Someone who once doubted themselves suddenly realises they’re capable of far more than they imagined.
Someone who hated exercise starts looking forward to it.
Someone who thought they’d never be strong enough discovers that actually, they are.
And the best part?
When they realise they don’t need to go back to where they started.
Because all that effort hasn’t just changed their body. It’s changed their habits, their confidence and what they believe they’re capable of. That’s the sort of transformation I love.
I’ve had some wonderful achievements in my life, and I’ve had plenty of failures too.
There have been times when things haven’t gone to plan, when I’ve doubted myself and when I’ve had to start all over again.
But one thing has never really changed.
I still love a challenge.
Give me something I genuinely want to achieve, and there’s a very good chance I’ll find a way to have a go.
And I think that’s because Dad taught me something incredibly valuable when I was just eight years old.
He taught me that wanting something isn’t enough.
You have to be prepared to work for it.
And perhaps more importantly, he taught me to actually enjoy doing the work.
When I look back at my childhood, I realise how lucky I was.
Not because I got to see famous people, go to incredible concerts or have horses.
But because I had a dad who understood that giving your child everything they want isn’t necessarily giving them everything they need.
He could have just bought me that pony.
Instead, he made me earn half of it.
And in doing so, he gave me something far more valuable than anything money could buy.
He gave me the belief that I could achieve things for myself.
And perhaps that’s why I’ve never been particularly interested in just reaching the finish line.
I love everything that comes before it.
The planning, the anticipation, the hard work, the setbacks, the determination and that wonderful moment when you realise you’ve actually done it.
Because reaching a goal is a fantastic feeling.
But having the determination to get there, the discipline to stay there and the courage to find your next challenge?
That’s what stays with you for life. ❤️
