Body Beyond Baby: Mum of The Moment

Without our wonderful mums and bubs Body Beyond Baby just would not be. Each month we like to celebrate your achievements and recognise the hard work that you put into your training and life as a mum. This month we would like you to meet our Mum of the Moment for March - Della.

Della was nominated for Mum of the Moment by a number of other Body Beyond Baby mums who are inspired by how Della makes it to sessions whilst running around after four children!

As a thank you to our Mum of the Moment and a congratulations for all of her hard work, Della will receive a $65 gift voucher for Inspired Wellbeing.

Meet Della

Tell us a bit about yourself, names of your children, how old they are

I am 45 years old and my partner of 15 years, Nick, is a hard working barrister. We have four children and we live in Darlinghurst in two small terrace houses stuck together. My oldest child, Camilla (or “Milly”), is 12 years old and has just started high school this year. Next is Rory who is nine years old and in year four. Henry just turned six the other day and he is in year one. Finally, there is baby Darcy who is turning two at the end of May. I also have two step children, Sam aged 20 and Eliza aged 19 but they are all grown up now and have left home.

I worked for many years as a commercial litigation lawyer in a large city law firm. I left during the global financial crisis, thinking I might have some time with my family and return to work at a later stage. I realised that I no longer wanted to be in the corporate world. Together with another mum I volunteered to run the after school dance program and that kept me busy. I now have another plan but more about that later.

What made you decide to join our Summer Challenge for the first and then second time?

I was inspired to join the first Summer Challenge last year after speaking to some of the other mums who looked amazingly fit as a result of the Winter Challenge. I had already been training with Body Beyond Baby for about three months but I soon came to realise how much further I had to go and the discipline of being involved in a group challenge was really motivating and fun. I set higher goals and was thrilled to see that I could run my two laps around the oval a full minute faster than when I first started training with Body Beyond Baby. Many of the things I started to change as I learned more about nutrition were very surprising. My three skim cappuccinos each day became one delicious satisfying full fat cappuccino and several cups of green tea. My huge overflowing bowl of low fat yogurt (full of sugar to make up for the lack of fat) became a small bowl of full fat Greek yogurt with some blueberries and chia seeds. Lean meat and fish, loads of healthy salads and new foods like quinoa and small snacks of almonds and boiled eggs became staples and the effect on my energy levels was amazing. I found that I could train hard and look after my family with the good fats and the protein keeping me going. I also continued to breastfeed my big one year old baby with no trouble at all. I enjoyed the camaraderie – all the other mums were very inspiring – and I had great results. I couldn’t really believe my eyes when I saw the before and after photos. I realised that I was actually fitter and leaner at 45 than I had ever been in my entire life!

I joined the second Summer Challenge because I still wanted to lose a couple more kilos and because I loved the first Challenge so much. I am gradually coming to realise that, having come so far, my fitness and my shape is what I should be focussing on rather than my weight. This Challenge I have finally kicked my terrible diet coke habit for good and I am committed now to making changes for me and for my family for life not just for a few weeks.

What has been your Body Beyond Baby highlight so far?

The highlight for me has been taking part in the Spartan training day with some other mums from BBB. As I reached the end of six grueling rounds of training covered in dirt and sweat, sun burnt and sore, dehydrated and totally disoriented I felt strangely elated as I was joined by my kids to shake hands with none other than The COMMANDO!

What has been your greatest challenge?

My greatest challenge has been to concentrate on improving my form and technique. I am still working on that one. I also want to be able to do an unassisted chin up. I am working on that one too! I saw a woman at the gym today doing chin ups with a large weight attached around her middle. As I stood there with my mouth hanging open in total awe, she told me that it makes doing normal chin ups really easy! I look forward to experiencing that!

When you started, did you ever think you would be joining our tough mums team in the obstacle events like The Spartan Race?

A few weeks ago as I stood in the pouring rain for over an hour before the start of the Kings of The Sand Race at Cronulla, I reflected on how it was almost surreal that I felt fit enough and brave enough to enter a sand race with obstacles with a whole lot of other much younger mums! It’s a whole new fun world – a very exhilarating way to spend time – learning to climb ropes and swing on monkey bars and to get all dirty and muddy without so much as blinking an eyelid. I can almost hear Jen telling me to “toughen up” right now!

What has been your family’s reaction to your new fitness regime?

My family are thrilled at my new found enthusiasm for fitness. Every Sunday during the first Summer Challenge my six year old son would wait for me ready to jump on me the moment I got home from Steps to ask me if my time had improved. Some things have taken a little getting used to though – Henry still asks when we will be having white rice again and often begs me to get Nutrigrain for breakfast one more last time! Hopefully their memories will fade. My very “Eastern Suburbs” daughter’s reaction when she saw me after the Spartan training was also pretty funny – she kept saying “Mum you look terrible - what is all that dirt in your hair?”

Do you have anything else to add?

I am currently training to become a qualified personal trainer so that I can one day train mums with Body Beyond Baby. I have a lot of work to do, including hours of observation and practical training before this happens but I am feeling happy about the direction my life has taken. I was a bit lost for a few years particularly as I grappled with the private pain and heartache associated with repeated miscarriages in my quest (some would say a rather misguided quest in my early forties!) to have another baby. When baby Darcy finally came along it was a bit of a shock (a nice shock though) and it took me a while to pick up the pieces and get on with life. BBB has played a big part in my journey to move forward. I can’t wait to inspire other mums to do their very best, the way I have been inspired by Jen and Amy and all the other friends I have made at Body Beyond Baby over the past year.