Fighting Fit – From the operation table to 5k

Hello! I’m Mel and I’m delighted to be one of Funky Sportswear’s ambassadors.

Well, I am 31 years old, I have two brilliant children and have been married to my lovely husband for three years. I moved to the Shropshire countryside when I was very young and have been here ever since.

Growing up here was the best and I feel very lucky to be able to bring my children up in such a beautiful part of the world. We love to spend as much time outdoors enjoying it as we can.

As a youngster, I loved my time at school but didn’t really enjoy college, so found work instead. Over the years, I have had a few different jobs – from a clothes shop, to a pub, to a bank, I have never really found the right thing.

For the past three years though, I have worked in admissions for a local private school which I love and I intend on staying there for a long time! It’s a pretty full-on role, so after a busy day, I just like to relax in front of the tele!

I don’t really have any hobbies at the moment because, as you can imagine, most of my time is taken up with looking after two small people. I do love photography though. I take thousands of photos and love spending time editing them. It is definitely something that I would love to explore more of in the future.

It is only recently that I have really started to get interested in keeping fit. A couple of years ago my husband took up running and after seeing him enjoy it so much, I thought I would give it a go too – and I soon got hooked!

When I was 27, after being in pain for a very long time, I had one of my hips replaced and so running (or most sport for that matter) was something I thought would never be possible. But actually, it gave me a new lease of life and I can do most things now. A 5k is about my limit but I always feel so good when I achieve this.

Lately though, I have started just walking more. I absolutely love walking long distances and always feel like I could go on forever. I find it much more enjoyable than running now. This year, my husband and I would love to walk up Snowdon. It’s something I have wanted to do for so long now, so fingers crossed we get the chance!

I first came across Funky Sportswear when we went to the National Running Show. I bought myself a pair of leggings and always get so many compliments and questions about them. I have a few pairs now and during the latest lockdown and working from home, I have pretty much lived in them! I wear them for all exercise and weekend adventures with the kids, they are amazing!

I guess my goal for my 30s is to get more fit than I have ever been and as cheesy as this sounds, when I put my leggings on, they really do motivate me to exercise.

It has been fun to help spread the word about Funky and I look forward to working more with them in the future!

Thanks for reading?

You can follow Mel on Instagram @MrsMelJones