A lot of people past the age of 50 would count a dog walk or some yoga as suitable exercise but for ultra-marathon runner and Ironman athlete Sarah Jouault that was simply not enough.
Sarah began the simple hobby of running for her mental health after the death of her husband in 1994 which left her with a mountain of debt.
That hobby snowballed into a selfless mission which has seen her raise more than £160,000 for charity and take part in extreme challenges across the world.
This year Sarah, 70, has already taken part in two 70.3 mile Ironman challenges and one triathlon where you swim, cycle and run.
But the mother-of-four has decided that the next extreme race she does might be her last.
“I was left in thousands of pounds of debt when my husband died,” said Sarah, from Chichester.
“My accountant said running is really good for your mental health. At first I thought it was rubbish, it was wet and cold.
“I started running in 1998, I found that as long as I had a reason to run, it helped me hugely with my mental health.
“I found that I could run really fast so I entered the first Olympic distance triathlon in London in 2001.
“Any form of exercise helps with mental health. I have down days but I go out and do some exercise and it makes you feel amazing. You get all the endorphins.”
On June 30, Sarah is taking part in the Bolton Ironman and said if she wins in her age group she will go to the world championships in New Zealand on December 15.
“I might go to the world championships, it’s a huge amount of strain preparing for a race," she said.
“If I win in my age group I have to continue my training throughout the year. If I make it to New Zealand, that’s it I’m done with competitive challenges.”
Sarah said her best ever finish is sixth in the world championships.
She is releasing a book about her story of being an ultra-distance athlete, her highs in life and several lows. Sarah also featured in The Argus 20 years ago but has added many more medals to her collection since then.
Those challenging moments in her life include a brutal attack when she grew up in Africa, her husband’s death and dealing with the debts of that, breaking her nose and getting 16 stitches after collapsing from a seizure and getting cancer in 2019.
Sarah said: “I have been through a lot which people will see if they read my book. What happens to you does not define you.
“Through the highs and lows of marriage and loss, I found solace in the rhythm of my footsteps by running.
“I didn’t realise that I had a lot of mental health problems, it took me to recover to full health to realise what a mess I was in.
“The book is my life story, it has to be all your highs and lows. You have to go through everything to see why you do.”
Sarah’s book “Never Gave Up, Just Gave Back” is out on July 4. She is hosting a book launch that day in Chichester. People interested in attending can email Sarah at sarah.jouault@googlemail.com.
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