Despite not getting into running until she was in her 50s and being 60 when she learnt how to swim, Eddie Brocklesby became the oldest British woman to complete an Ironman aged 72. Known to many as ‘Iron Gran’, Eddie later repeated the feat when she was 74 – and now in her early 80s, fitness remains a huge part of her life.
It all started with a half marathon, which she entered partly to prove to her husband that she could indeed run that distance. But before long, Eddie was completing marathons, triathlons and Ironmans – and in 2013, following the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, she founded Silverfit, a charity promoting healthy ageing through affordable physical activity. It currently provides 32 weekly sessions across eight London boroughs.
Eddie says that her husband – a football player – had always been ‘much fitter’ than her and when he played matches at the University of Nottingham where they met, she was firmly a spectator. So when he died, it motivated Eddie to keep going with her own fitness endeavours.
‘We had a couple of months when we knew that he was terminally ill – and we recognised that I was the lucky one and to make the most of your life,’ she tells Women’s Health. ‘That, to me, was the incentive to keep going.’ So committed is Eddie to staying strong and active – and helping others to do the same – that she’ll be immortalised in paint in the new series of Extraordinary Portraits, triathlon kit and all.
Eddie is currently recovering from a fall, so she’s easing back into things (although she does have her sights set on an upcoming 10K race) – but several doctors have said that she would ‘be in a far worse state’ had it not been for her high fitness level. Below, she shares the top training tips that help her stay strong, active and able to recover well.
Instagram / _irongran_
Eddie pictured with friend and parkrun founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt
1. Be adaptable
Eddie would love to get straight back out there and would typically run, jog, walk and cycle regularly across the week. However, over the years, she’s learnt to be in tune with her body and knows when to scale it back. ‘The last thing that I want is another fall at the moment,’ she says – but at the same time, she adds, exercise is important for recovery, ‘albeit with a crutch’.
So, alongside walking, Eddie has swapped her outdoor bike for Zwift – a global virtual cycling app – for the time being. It’s safe, still a great workout and helps to keep her motivated thanks to the competitive element and workout variety. ‘I’m probably on Zwift most days – it’s a bit more limited at the moment, but I did half an hour yesterday and the day before,’ she says. ‘It’s a brilliant system.’
2. Don’t underestimate the power of walking
As she’s gotten older, Eddie has incorporated a lot of walking into her weekly routine, the power of which she says shouldn’t be underestimated – especially when done in a group. She doesn’t have an ACL in either knee – ‘the first one went as a result of skiing and the second I think just from jogging’ – so walking helps Eddie to maintain fitness with less impact than she would experience solely running.
3. Prioritise strength training
‘It’s absolutely vital, the strength training element of healthier ageing – for balance and reducing falls,’ says Eddie, who adds that she aims to perform strengthening exercises daily. ‘If people have got stronger quads and hamstrings, then they are less likely to fall over.’
While Eddie does frequent the gym for swimming and strength work, she highlights the benefits of at-home bodyweight strength training, too, such as press-ups and leg lifts, which you can do from a chair. ‘It’s so simple, but so important to do every day if you can,’ she adds.
4. Reap the social benefits of exercise
Eddie is part of London-based Serpentine Running and Triathlon Club, with whom she trains often. Over the years, the fitness communities that she has been part of – including Hackney Marshes parkrun, which she set up – have been vital motivators. ‘I think that there’s a hugely important social element [of exercise],’ she says, citing the benefits of simply getting out in the fresh air and going for a walk with others.
Instagram / _irongran_
Serpentine Running and Triathlon Club has been integral to Eddie’s fitness journey
From data that the Silverfit team has collected, one thing is evident, says Eddie: ‘You ask what keeps [them coming back] and people will answer it’s the social element.’
5. Start gradually and build up
As Eddie has learnt first-hand, one of the key things to staying active is to start gradually before building up – she didn’t dive straight into an Ironman! – like she’s currently doing again post-fall. ‘It’s far better to go in at a slower pace and build up rather than go and think, oh, God, no, this isn’t for me,’ she says. ‘It’s about taking it slowly and gently to start with and not overdoing it.’
And for anyone who thinks that it’s ‘too late’ for fitness? ‘There are so many different ways of getting out and exercising,’ says Eddie – whether you choose to join a gym or not. From Nordic walking to dance, there’s something out there for everyone.
Extraordinary Portraits with Bill Bailey returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Friday 27 March – you can catch Eddie’s episode on Friday 3 April.
This article first appeared in Women’s Health UK.
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