About this episode
Anna Bailey shares her inspiring journey from a busy life to becoming a world champion in indoor rowing at nearly 50 years old.
Anna Bailey had lived a busy life. An IT professional, cat breeder and national cat show judge, she was also prone to bouts of depression. But approaching her 50th birthday, she ruled out self-pity and decided that it was time to get back into shape. A trip to a local gym seemed unremarkable enough, until she tried out the rowing machine. She was quite good at it - so good in fact, that within a year she would be travelling overseas representing her country in competitive indoor rowing competitions. Within two years she was age-group World Champion. In a story which proves it is never too late to try something new, Anna talks to Dr Sian Williams about the profound moment she realised that she could be a world-beater. Producer: Tom Alban
People in this episode
Host: Dr Sian Williams
Guest: Anna Bailey
Topics covered
- personal transformation
- competitive sports
- mental health
- rowing
- age is just a number
Keywords
- indoor rowing
- world champion
- mental health
- personal growth
- fitness journey
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: BBC Radio 4
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