Hannah's Story

SHE JUST WANTED TO KEEP UP WITH HER CHILDREN, NOW SHE'S RUNNING ALONGSIDE THEM.

For Hannah, getting stronger was never just about changing how she looked, it was about becoming the active, involved mum she'd always wanted to be.

Living with lipoedema, Hannah experienced painful swelling, discomfort and heaviness in her arms and legs.

Family days out were becoming increasingly difficult. She struggled to keep up with her husband and children, often needing to stop and rest and it was taking a toll on her confidence.

She felt guilty, frustrated and worried that she was missing out on precious moments with her family.

One day, while visiting a National Trust garden, Hannah's children desperately wanted her to climb a hill with them but every step was painful.

She eventually reached the top, but the experience stayed with her.

She didn't want to keep watching from behind, she wanted to be right there alongside her children.

That was the moment Hannah decided something needed to change.

With coaching and support from Callum, Hannah began focusing on improving her strength, fitness and confidence.

Living with lipoedema, she'd previously been led to believe that building muscle and losing weight would be particularly difficult.

But Hannah began making progress she hadn't thought possible.

She's now lost 16kg, developed visible muscle definition in her arms and legs and noticed a significant reduction in the swelling and puffiness she used to experience at the end of the day.

But the biggest changes have happened outside the gym.

Hannah doesn't just walk up hills with her children anymore, she runs up them.

She can enjoy family days out without constantly needing to sit down, she joins in with their games and she's no longer embarrassed to go swimming or enjoy the pool slides with them.

One of Hannah's proudest moments came on her son's sixth birthday, he wanted his mum to join him on a flume ride during their holiday.

Previously, Hannah hadn't been within the ride's weight limit but this year, she was and she got to go down that slide with her little boy.

A moment that might seem ordinary to somebody else, but meant absolutely everything to Hannah because she wasn't sitting on the sidelines anymore, she was making memories with her children.

Hannah's story is about so much more than losing 16kg or building muscle.

It's about living with a long term condition, finding an approach to exercise that works for her and discovering what she's capable of.

Her progress is personal, and everyone's experience of lipoedema is different but for Hannah, getting stronger has meant less discomfort, more confidence and the freedom to enjoy family life in ways she once struggled to.

And her advice to anyone who feels stuck?

"Put yourself first and make the changes. That first step will impact the rest of your life."

From struggling to reach the top of a hill to running up it with her children, that's what getting stronger has meant for Hannah.