How I Quit Smoking, Got Strong, and Rebuilt My Life
Let’s rewind to 2003.
I was in my early 20s, living on convenience food, pizza, and cheap wine. I smoked — mostly when I drank — and I drank a lot. Every weekend was the same: all-night raves, chain-smoking, dancing until sunrise, then recovering with takeaway, TV, and more cheap wine.
Health and fitness? Absolutely not. I felt anxious constantly, tired all the time, and had no clue what looking after myself actually meant.
There was no big “rock bottom” moment — just a slow, nagging feeling that I didn’t want to keep living like this. I started cutting back. I’d only smoke when I drank (still most weekends), but it was something. I finally quit smoking for good around 2012.
In the middle of all that, I found running. Long-distance stuff — back when doing a half marathon was still considered a big deal. I wasn’t fast, but it gave me a goal. It made me feel proud of myself, maybe for the first time.
To help with the running, I joined a gym. That’s where things really started to shift. I got into strength training, qualified as a personal trainer while still in the UK, and in 2018, I moved to Australia for a better lifestyle (and, let’s be honest, better weather).
After I moved, I found CrossFit — and everything clicked. The challenge, the structure, the community — I was hooked. Through that, I discovered Olympic lifting, and I completely fell in love with it. The technique, the discipline, the satisfaction of a good lift — it just made sense to me.
Since then, strength training has helped me rebuild not just my fitness, but my mindset, my confidence, and honestly, my whole life.
So if you’re reading this thinking, “I’ve left it too late” or “I wouldn’t even know where to start” — I get it.
You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight. You just need to start. Show up. Take the next small step.
Because if I can go from all-night raves, takeaway dinners, and wine-fuelled Sundays to feeling strong in my body and running a coaching business I love — so can you.
— Jen x
