about
Hello + welcome! Thank you so much for being here!
I am a mother of 2 grown up sons, living on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales.
In the summer of 2019, I became the first woman to stand up paddleboard coast to coast, 162 miles from Liverpool to Goole, picking up litter + fundraising for The Wave Project and 2MinuteBeachClean Foundation. You can watch a film about this adventure here: Brave Enough - A Journey Home to Joy: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/braveenough
I call myself a joy encourager, beach cleaner + midlife adventurer.
I love to write and am honoured to have been invited to speak at prestigious adventure festivals, wellbeing events + on many wonderful podcsasts. My story has been featured in the national press, on the radio + TV.
My book about beautiful places to paddleboard is available to order here or click on the link on the book!
To share my joyful message, I also make tiny, award winning films about joy, adventure + finding your purpose. My podcast The Joy of SUP - the Paddleboarding Sunshine Podcast launched with my first guest on Christmas Eve 2020.
"I can't change the world, but I can change the little bit around me."
However, life was not always so happy.
In May 2013, I found myself sobbing in the biscuit aisle of Tesco's, looking at the chocolate Hob Nobs and wondering how my life had come to this. I was 48, a busy working Mum, flying solo with my boys.
Both my parents were undergoing chemotherapy at the time and I was overwhelmed, anxious and desperate for a good night's sleep.
A friend lent me an old indoor rowing machine suggesting exercise might help. Within two weeks I was sleeping and life was so much brighter.
In 2014, I rowed a million metres and marathon for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of my Mum, completing the challenge on the 1st anniversary of her death and 5 days before my 50th birthday. We raised £10,000.00.
I returned to the hills + sea which I had loved as a child, body boarding, wild swimming and hiking.
In September 2016, I took my first paddleboard lesson. I loved it from the minute I stood up.
"You're never too old to do something wild and it's never too late to make a difference."
My goal is to share the joy of the outdoors for our physical + mental wellbeing, being kind to ourselves and the oceans.
I'm a proud Ambassador Bluefin SUPs paddleboards, Seaful Charity and 2MinuteBeachClean Foundation in 2019, I was a British Canoeing Women's Paddlesports Ambassador.
My motto: We are never too old to do something wild and it's never too late to make a difference.
I hope you'll join me on this wild + precious adventure....
Jo x Twitter and Instagram @healthyhappy50
PS I would love to speak to your organisation about joy, adventure and finding your purpose. Please see my Speaker page for details. Thank you!
