​In loving memory of Sue Oldfield

​In loving memory of Sue Oldfield
​
I received some very sad news this week about a wonderful lady who I have trained for many years and who I know inspired so many.
I first met Sue in July 2017 and she has consistently trained with me for the last 7 years. Choosing to get stronger in her late 70’s means she will always remain an inspiration and reminder that it is never too late to start. If you haven’t heard her story, let me share it with you, when I met her, she’d had 3 hip replacements and walked with a stick for 15 years when she decided to try something new. She trained with a friend and colleague of mine before starting with me and never stopped from that summer. Sue reached the point where she didn’t have to walk with a stick anymore, she was dedicated to a few minutes of daily exercises at home, went swimming most weeks, and always took the stairs when the opportunity arose.
I will miss seeing her little blue car pull up each week. Sue would share news of her week when she came to sessions and I was always amazed at how much she would do, especially for others. She would always be off somewhere to visit a friend or family member who were so important to her. From all she shared with me it was clear that she was generous and community minded - baking cakes for village events, flowers for the church, or visiting a friend both near and far. I heard stories from her childhood, memories of Newbury before she moved here later in life, growing up in the generation she was part of, becoming a nurse, her travels, her family, always shared with such wonderful enthusiasm. Sue’s generation remembers WW2 and everything that came since, that is an incredible time span.
She was always interested in how I was and what I was doing, always encouraging me to take some time off and rest, she was caring and will leave a big hole in many people’s lives. She would tell me about plants and be thrilled to hear about how my growing attempts were going, full of information and enthusiasm always.
She inspired me since the first day I met her and she will continue to inspire me, always.
I am not one to share personal things that often but wanted to share this news with you because I know so many of you knew or knew of Sue. She is the reason some of my clients decided to start training and lifting weights and sometimes I think writing things down, for me at least, allows me to share some of these thoughts.   
The relationships I build with my clients are very important to me. Many have become friends over the years. If you think about people in your life that you see every single week, that number is probably quite small, adjust that list to people you really talk with in depth, and I think it becomes clearer as to why these relationships are so significant. I see people every week, they share their happy moments, their challenges, I get to know them and all about their lives and their families’ lives, I care and want to know how their week has been. Consequently, I care about the people I work with, and I am always interested to hear from everyone. To me it is more than just a job. Every one of my clients, especially those who I have worked with for years, are special to me. I want to help people live a long, healthy, and happy life and this gives me a lifelong purpose.
When I think of Sue, I will be reminded that it’s never too late to start, to always keep going, to be giving and kind to others and to never stop being interested in living life to the full.  If I can encourage you to do anything from this post, remember to talk to people from older generations, they have stories to tell, and we have things we can learn.
Thank you, Sue. You will always be remembered. Rest in peace.

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