Sean Fletcher, star of ITV’s Good Morning Britain, has a special motivation to stay fit and healthy. He’s just four years younger than his mother Carol was when she died from bowel cancer at the age of 54.
“That puts me at a fairly high risk – so now that I’m 50, I’m aware that staying in good shape is particularly important for me,” says Sean, who admits that he hasn’t always taken care of himself.
“I put so many other things ahead of getting fit,” he adds. “I wouldn’t say I was overweight, but I would be seriously out of breath running for the bus. With a busy work schedule of early mornings on top of a hectic family life, I was often tired, so fitness wasn’t a priority.”
Now Sean, who also appears on BBC1’s Countryfile, has finally found a fitness passion, so running for buses can be taken in his stride. “Before my 40th birthday, I don’t think I’d ever run further than 5km in my life – apart from cross country at school, which I absolutely hated.”
But it was a spur-of-the-moment decision to sign up for the London Marathon in memory of his mother that changed everything.
“I decided to run for Bowel Cancer UK in 2015, to remember my mum. After so many painful, cold and wet training sessions, I started to fall in love with running.
“It took many months of training, but I completed my first marathon and I’m not exaggerating when I say it was one of the most incredible things I’ve done in my life.”
Since then, Sean has completed the London Marathon twice more and recently ramped up his training once again, after his two children entered him for a half marathon in Venice. “Running is my way of unwinding, physically and mentally,” he says. “As I run more, I notice I get into better shape, so I feel better about myself.
“I try to run in nature, either in the countryside or in city parks,” adds Sean, who is a Go Outdoors ambassador.
“The combination of my surroundings and the exercise helps me unwind and clear my mind. Running isn’t easy, even when you’re doing it regularly.
“I still struggle on most runs, so there is always an element of feeling like I’ve achieved something, which is a great feeling.
“My wife, Luned, has always run, so when I started I tagged along with her. Now we run together a lot and, in Venice, we ran together as a family.
“Although there isn’t much of a chance to talk while we’re on the move, it still feels like bonding time together. ”
Sean Fletcher is a GO Outdoors brand ambassador. Join the KUDOS Run Mile One Strava Club, a new GO Outdoors Strava club which provides support and motivation for new runners, to get active and win prizes