Unshrinkable midlife moves - Movement, meaning + midlife magic

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What happens when a woman in midlife sees a post for a Hybrid Race on Instagram and thinks, "I could do that", despite never having trained that way before?

Meet Szidy. She went from home workouts with a few dumbbells to completing six hybrid fitness races in one year. This isn’t a story about being naturally athletic, it’s about signing up before you’re ready, learning as you go, and discovering just how strong you can become.

We talk about transitioning from home workouts to the gym, overcoming the intimidation of using unfamiliar gym equipment, nearly quitting mid-race, training on dark rainy mornings and how a knee injury became the catalyst for building unexpected strength. We also explore why doing hard things consistently is life changing.

If you’re curious about hybrid fitness (beyond Hyrox), or are ready to stop playing small, this episode is for you.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How to move from home workouts into gym and hybrid training
• How to overcome gym intimidation 
• Mental strategies for consistent training (even when you don't feel like it)
• Why asking for help builds confidence
• What nearly quitting taught Szidy about resilience and what it can teach you 

Find out more about Szidy on Instagram @fit_Szid

Follow the podcast over on Instagram  @unshrinkablemidlfemoves

Find out more about Onika on Instagram @lifeopenedup

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At 60, Ruth Gledhill was fighting for her life in intensive care, overweight and sedentary after years behind a desk. Five years later, she's standing on World Championship podiums, breaking Age Group World Records and representing Great Britain in the triathlon.

This isn't a story about being naturally athletic or having endless time. Ruth openly shares her challenges, always coming second to her sister in her youth, career stress, and that moment in hospital when she wondered what had gone so wrong.

But what she discovered changed everything, age group categories that finally let her compete fairly, the technology that revealed the truth about her body, and a community that proved it's never too late to start.

In this inspiring conversation you'll learn:

• How Ruth went from learning to walk again to Ironman 70.3 World Championships
• Why age-group sport is a game-changer for midlife and older women
• How wearable tech can empower, not overwhelm your health journey
• Why winning in midlife isn’t about beating younger women, but showing up and staying in motion
• How movement helped Ruth rebuild confidence after career stress, health trauma and self-doubt
• How Ruth overcame paralysing fear of open water swimming 
• The irreducible minimum strategy for getting started when motivation fails
• Why movement gave her back the one thing she'd lost

Whether you're curious or intimidated by triathlon, or simply wondering if it's too late to start moving, Ruth's story proves the finish line doesn't care about your past or your age. It only cares that you show up. 

Follow Ruth on Instagram @ruthie_gledhill

Read Ruth's Blog Tri and Error

Follow Ruth on Strava

Follow the podcast over on Instagram  @unshrinkablemidlfemoves

Find out more about Onika on Instagram @lifeopenedup

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What do you do when you've been so many things to so many people that you've forgotten who you actually are?

After experiencing postnatal depression in 2007, Judean Lowe's GP suggested what would be a life changing alternative to medication that became a decade-long journey of rediscovery, injury, burnout, and adult gymnastics with her brother.

This conversation is packed with wisdom for anyone navigating midlife, mental health, or the messy process of finding yourself. Judean opens up about why returning to gymnastics wasn't about reclaiming past ability, but was about courage, play, and discovering that midlife doesn't mean you've missed your chance. 

In this episode you'll learn:

• How to navigate what happens when the relationship with exercise stops working
• What it's really like to start gymnastics as an adult 
• How to navigate high-energy fitness spaces as an introvert
• Why discipline beats motivation every single time
• The one question to ask when you're finding yourself again in midlife

This conversation dives into the things we don't talk about enough, the discomfort of being seen and heard, the challenge of celebrating yourself and the vulnerability of starting from scratch when you thought you had it all figured out. 

Follow Judean on Instagram @being.just.jude

Follow the podcast over on Instagram  @unshrinkablemidlfemoves

Find out more about Onika on Instagram @lifeopenedup

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When sport disappears from your life and is replaced by a career, raising two boys, how do you rediscover your athletic identity and compete again?

We talk to Andrea Djan-Krofa about how she did just that.  Andrea also shares  how to do hard things when you don't feel ready, the impact of multi-generational strength, what we're unconsciously teaching our children when we move and why movement isn't just about fitness.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why movement is more than exercise
• How to do hard things when you're not ready
• How to override your feelings and show up for your future self 
• What we create and leave every time we move

This conversation is a reminder that movement is more than exercise, it’s agency, identity, and life itself. Whether you once loved sport, feel disconnected from your body, or are simply curious about what’s still possible, this episode will leave you inspired to move with purpose and trust yourself again. 

Resources and Links

Diary of A CEO episode - No.1 Brain Scientist: Your Brain Is Lying To You! 

If you liked this episode, let me know by leaving a review.

Follow Andrea on Instagram @andreadjankrofa and Linkedin @andreadjankrofa

Follow the podcast on Instagram  @unshrinkablemidlfemoves

Find out more about Onika on Instagram @lifeopenedup

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Meet World Masters Champion Jodie Albrow, a lifelong athlete whose relationship with athletics began at just 11 years old and has spanned more than 30 years. From being spotted by a PE teacher to competing as a multi-event athlete, navigating injury, chronic fatigue and motherhood whilst representing GB as a Masters athlete, Jodie's story is one of resilience, determination, reinvention, and deep love for the sport.

At 43, Jodie specialises in heptathlon and pentathlon, competing in 5-7 events across 1-2 days. Hear how Jodie faced an unexpected challenge after winning The World Indoor Championship gold in 2023, that for many would have been career ending. For Jodie, it became a lesson in redefining what winning means and being kinder to herself.

In this episode you'll learn:

•  The mindset behind competing and thriving at any age   
•  How movement can become a source of freedom, clarity, and confidence 
•  The power of redefining success around movement

Jodie opens up about the emotional pull of running, the discipline it takes to train across seven events, and how athletics shaped her confidence, mindset, and sense of self. 

We explore what it really means to come back after setbacks, how community fuels long term success, and why age should never be a barrier to pursuing excellence.

Follow Jodie on Instagram @jodiealbrow

Find a Park Run at www.parkrun.org.uk

Follow the podcast over on Instagram  @unshrinkablemidlfemoves

Find out more about Onika on Instagram @lifeopenedup

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In this episode, we dive into an inspiring midlife story that goes far deeper than weight loss.

After years of trying every diet, every restart, and every quick fix, today’s guest, Ayisha Ajikobi found herself weighing 106kg, frustrated, exhausted, and wondering, “Why can’t I stay consistent anymore?”

Instead of giving up, she decided to start building her strength and fitness.

You’ll hear how Ayisha:

• shifted from chasing weight loss to chasing her future self
• found a fitness community that changed everything
• learned to measure progress beyond the scales
• discovered the courage to step onto the start line in midlife

If you’ve ever felt stuck in your body, tired of starting over, or frustrated by the scale, this episode will remind you that transformation doesn’t begin with a number but with a choice.

This episode is for anyone navigating midlife fitness, perimenopause weight changes, motivational struggles, or trying to rediscover their power after years of false starts.

Discover what’s possible when you stop focusing on what you weigh and start focusing on what you can do.

Follow the podcast over on Instagram  @unshrinkablemidlfemoves

Find out more about Onika on Instagram @lifeopenedup

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If you’ve ever felt like you’re starting too late or that movement simply isn’t for you, this episode is an encouraging reminder that it’s never too late to reconnect with your body or discover what makes you feel strong, grounded, and alive again.

In this conversation, Emma shares her journey of discovering movement that she enjoys and building confidence at a stage of life where many women feel uncertain. Her reflections are honest, warm, and relatable for any woman navigating midlife changes and wanting to feel more in control of her energy and well-being.

This episode explores how movement can become a source of stability, clarity, and self-belief, not through perfection or pressure, but through small, meaningful choices that help you reconnect with yourself.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why starting your movement journey later in life can be an advantage
• How exercise can stop being a chore
• How confidence is built through showing up, not getting it right
• The importance of listening to your body’s signals in midlife
• How to overcome anxiety and the comparison trap when training
• Simple ways to begin again, gently, realistically and sustainably

If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to begin, or if movement has always felt intimidating or unreachable, this episode will remind you that can start exactly where you are.

Follow Emma's Marathon journey HERE.

Follow Emma on Instagram @raymondwrites

Follow us over on Instagram  @unshrinkablemidlfemoves

Find out more about Onika on Instagram @lifeopenedup

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In this heartfelt and uplifting episode, Onika Griffith-Elliott sits down with Lorna Griffiths, a mother, stepmother, wife, IT professional, and lifelong mover to talk about resilience and rediscovering joy in midlife.

Lorna Griffiths opens up about the emotional and physical journey that followed her major surgery, a chapter that forced her to slow down, reflect, and rebuild from the inside out. Through her story, she reveals the golden thread that has carried her across different seasons of life as well as taking small steps forward, even when the goal feels far away.

In this episode you'll learn:

• How to hear the truth of what you body may be telling you
• How to create a powerful map for the next chapter of your life
• How to turn midlife into a rebellion
• Why becoming a beginner is the key to confidence
• Why the real summit isn't achievement

This is an episode about embracing every role you play, mother, daughter, partner, professional, while still making space for you. It's for anyone navigating midlife changes, health challenges, or the quiet feeling that it’s time to reconnect with who you truly are. Lorna’s story will inspire you to honour your body, trust your journey, and keep going, one step at a time.

Follow us over on Instagram  @unshrinkablemidlfemoves

Find out more about Onika on Instagram @lifeopenedup

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What happens when a midlife woman who once avoided cameras, photos, and being seen, is training for a Hyrox and then suddenly finds herself in the spotlight?

This is the unexpected transformation that sparked the creation of this podcast. Unshrinkable Midlife Moves.

In this powerful first episode, we dive into a story of rediscovery, how a lunchtime article led to a brutal first Hyrox class, how a sled that wouldn’t budge rewired a mindset, and how saying yes to discomfort opened doors to confidence, courage, and a completely new identity.

You’ll hear how early-morning training sessions, unexpected opportunities, and a willingness to show up, literally helped turn fear into fuel. And ultimately, how that journey led from the Hyrox race floor to the microphone and this podcast.

In this episode you'll learn:

• How an everyday moment can spark midlife transformation
• How movement can become much more than fitness
• Why midlife visibility matters
• How movement can unlock another version of you

If you’ve ever felt invisible, stuck, or unsure whether midlife can really be a beginning, this episode will remind you of what’s possible when you move, say yes, and let yourself be seen.

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Welcome to Unshrinkable Midlife Moves, the podcast for women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond who are done playing small. Host Onika Griffith Elliott invites you to explore how one shift—movement—can reignite your confidence, spark joy, and open a whole new chapter of possibilities.

Each week Onika shines a spotlight on inspiring midlife women who are trying new things, rediscovering old passions, and proving that midlife is where the magic kicks in. She'll explore what's possible, share insights, advice and real stories that  will help you to move differently and move powerfully.

If you’re ready to stop fading, think bigger, and feel unstoppable, this is your space.

Follow us over on Instagram  @unshrinkablemidlfemoves

Find out more about Onika on Instagram @lifeopenedup