I’d never been inside a gym in my life. But that was all about to change. By Ginny MacColl, 73
Watching my daughter leap effortlessly from step to step, I was stunned by just how beautiful she looked.
Growing up, I’d been taught that women ought to be delicate and fragile and I’d been a professional dancer for years. But Jessie was showing me another side to beauty.
She was competing on a TV reality show called American Ninja Warrior where contestants tackled gruelling obstacles for a cash prize.
I watched from the audience as Jessie flew round the course.
Strong is beautiful, healthy is beautiful! I thought to myself.
It was a revelation.
‘I’m so proud of you,’ I told Jessie afterwards. ‘What should I do to get stronger?’
‘Why not try pull ups?’ she suggested.
It took me a few weeks practising on a pull-up in my wardrobe before I had a video to send her.
That’s great, Mum, she texted me. But it’s not technically a pull up. For a pull up you have to get your chin right up over the bar.
Maybe I should get a personal trainer! I replied.
In my 40s I’d been diagnosed with osteopenia, an earlier stage of osteoporosis. This meant my bones were fragile and I wanted to be careful not to hurt myself.
Fortunately, I found a trainer with a background as a chiropractor, so I was confident he’d be able to keep me safe.
With his help, I nailed my first pull up at the age of 63.
‘My goal is to do five in a row,’ I told him.
'I'm so proud of you'
The second pull up was much harder to achieve but I did it and, nine months after I started, friends and family were commenting on how toned and healthy I looked.
After two years lifting weights, I had some even better news.
‘Ginny, your bone density is back to normal!’ the doctor told me. ‘You’ve reversed your osteopenia!’
It was such a proud moment.
‘People think that fragile bones are an unavoidable part of getting older,’ I told Jessie. ‘But it doesn’t have to be like that!’
I wanted to show other seniors that it was possible to get stronger, no matter your age.
And American Ninja Warrior gave me an opportunity.
They were eager to get me and Jessie on the show together.
Filming on set was overwhelming. For lighting reasons, the contestants attempted the obstacle course at night and it was 1am before I took to the starting platform.
To my dismay, I fell at the first obstacle – a series of floating steps I had to leap between.
‘I feel like I’ve let everyone down,’ I told my husband. ‘You and Jessie, but also other seniors.’
‘Don’t worry, you’ll try again!’ he reassured me.
‘What do you mean?’ I replied. ‘Of course I won’t!’
But he knew me too well.
I applied again the next year and again fell on the first obstacle.
But I threw myself back into training and applied to test the course between seasons for extra practice.
In five years, I was ready to give American Ninja Warrior another go.
And this time I soared over the first obstacle with no problem.
On the second obstacle, ‘Greased Lightning’, I ended up stuck on a pole but my new-found strength came to the rescue.
After filming, I discovered that I was the oldest person ever to complete an obstacle on the show.
‘You’ve got to use failure to motivate yourself,’ I told my husband afterwards.
Today, I can do about 17 pull ups in a row and I’m aiming for 20.
I’m fighting the stereotype that it’s all downhill after 50. I’m 73 and I’ve never been stronger!