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Paul, 44, Builder from Wickford
I first met Erin at the centre back in May 2024 while watching my boy train there.
We were chatting one day after I saw an advert on Facebook, and she encouraged me to sign up and give it a go. I wanted to do something after ballooning in weight following the loss of my best friend and my dad within six months of each other. It was tough to take, and I couldn’t see a way out of a very dark place.
I had lost all confidence and, for a long time, had wanted to gain it back while also losing some weight.
My head wasn’t really in the right frame of mind, and I went along feeling that I would be judged because of my size and ability.
Walking out onto the Astro for the first time was daunting, but I was so wrong. Training three times a week changed my life for the better, although I didn’t know it at the time.
Jen, Rees and Erin make you feel at ease and work with everybody. They not only bring out the best in you, but make every single person feel equal.
One year later, after completing a London 25K walk with some of the other members, I decided to enter the London Marathon and got my place in September 2025.
Having a physical job as a builder, I reduced my training to two sessions a week so that I could use the other day to start running. I wasn’t a runner!
I started with a 3.5K run, which nearly killed me. I remember thinking at the time, “How am I ever going to run a marathon?” However, I set myself a goal of completing 32K, or 20 miles, within six months. I reached that distance two weeks earlier than expected.
One thing I have always had is the grit and determination to see something through.
For the first time in six years, I felt a sense of pride. I had also lost one and a half stone along the way and felt fitter and stronger. Even though I was only attending two sessions each week, they were helping with my training and moving me towards my final goal: that finish line.
The support from the other members meant a lot to me. They were always asking how I was doing and encouraging me along the way.
When the time came, I finished the marathon in seven hours and one minute, with my family there cheering me on all the way.
A gym was never for me. I couldn’t motivate myself. I used to walk into gyms, get wound up by the people there and then walk straight back out again.
Bootcamp has a different vibe. No two sessions are ever the same, and it feels as though you have a personal trainer with you throughout each session.
There is group work, pair work and individual training. Personally, pair work is my favourite because you push yourself so that you don’t let your partner down, and vice versa. You also meet so many more people who become friends.
Training outside comes with the disadvantage of the weather. Rain, sleet, hail or wind, we train in it all.
These are the days that try to break you, and it isn’t easy. I work outside in all weathers, but I understand that it isn’t for everyone.
It is a case of mind over matter. I tell myself that it is only 45 minutes of being wet and cold and lying on the wet ground. Thinking like that helps me get through it.
Turning up is the biggest step. There have been times when I have wanted to walk straight back out through the gate and go home, but that is just part of being human.
I want to challenge my limits by completing the Three Peaks next year, in 2027, with some of my fellow bootcampers.
I also want to carry on trying my best with whatever the team puts in front of me.
I cannot thank Jen, Rees and Erin enough for making the dark days easier and bringing the light at the end of the tunnel nearer.
