#11 My Body My Story 45 Over 45 - Denise

In this episode, Denise shares that feeling mortality in her face for the first time in her life, reminds her of how important it is to look after yourself and train your body at any age.

She also talks about how she travelled the World, got arts and law degrees, and learned from her mom how to make a sauce out of anything.

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT (auto-generated): 

Hi, you are listening to My Body My Story podcast,

Don't put up with crap from in relationships. That's a big one, like, just walk away. And just don't. Yeah, don't enable that behaviour in any shape way or form. This relax and enjoy.

This is the 45 or 45 chapter where we celebrate rule breakers and role models, the women who inspire us to live life our way and to show that sensuality, beauty, soul and true essence. Here we talk about what it's like to be 45 Plus, adjusting to the changes that come with time, and will listen to the stories of our participants. If you have an interesting story to share, we would love you to participate, you can email us on info@aleksandrawalker.com or visit our website, www. aleksandrawalker.com

How about we start with telling us about yourself

I'm 62 years young. I'm in administration. I am a lawyer but just not don't have a practicing certificate. So I've used my law in my administrative work like with contracts and stuff. I have a beautiful dog called Buddy. He's a Cavachon, which is a Cavoodle cross Bichon frise. And he has a lot of energy, but he's just adorable. Very naughty. He's two and a half. So cute is actually he will be three in July. He's destroyed my home. If that's okay. He's a bit better now.

And shoes.

No, because I shut my bedroom when I'm out. That it's your furniture and that front door. But anyway, it is what it is. I love travelling. I've travelled a lot of the world. I love cooking and entertaining. I'm a very good cook even if I do say something so

What's the cuisine?

My favourite cuisine is Italian. But yeah, I cook lots of different things. Yeah, I'm known as the baked dinner queen. And the queen of sauces and gravies

I love sauces and gravies

I inherited that from my mother. I train I love training. I've done that, basically all of my life. But in the last couple of years, I've put on what I had done previously to buddy called Charlie. And she had a congenital liver disease. So for two years, I was like a careless. I put on a lot of weight. And then I lost it and got down to 63 kilos for my 60th birthday. I was 73 kilos was the heaviest I've ever been. And then got down to 60 kilos by Christmas 2019. And last year broke my leg. Put the weight on. So yeah, I have an issue with weight. Yeah, just drives me crazy. And I know I shouldn't but yeah, I do. Just yeah,

I think it's a common theme in your metabolism slows down yet older as you get older one would have that.

And because I broke my leg and then I had my shoulder up. I'm not able to yet do the the intense training. Yes. So that's why it takes longer. I can walk all I like but I'm not supposed to run and jump and do all the intense training that I was doing and lift the heavy weights and so how

did you lose the weight like were you dieting?

dieting and intense training and I was going to the gym like about five times a week and a personal trainer as well. And they just guide you along. He's brilliant. And he's been brilliant with my rehabilitation with my leg and my shoulder. I was back at the gym with my cast on my leg. And then two weeks after my shoulder up. Oops, I was at the gym with my sling in my arm.

So what would you recommend to other ladies trying to lose weight like you've done it? You did it so well. 10 kilos, just you know

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Wow. Yeah, what was sort of Your driving force or what, what helped demote that weight?

I think it's personal. I just really like to feel good in myself. And it's a health conscious thing as well, as you get older, I feel mortality is in my face. Now that I'm into my 60s for the first time in my life, I'm like, wow. And I've worked in a hospital I worked at in the health department for 28 years. And some of those areas were like emergency. I think emergency was probably really in my face, you know, where, you know, because it's so highly emotive. You don't think well, I knit didn't think about it prior to that. Yeah. It's silly. I guess, you know, that's negative, but it's still it's just there. And there's nothing you can do about it. It's just enjoy what you have. Yeah. Yeah,

That's right. And travel. You said travel? Is there any place? Is your favourite? Or is there any place that you haven't been to that you can't wait? Like it's still in your bucket list?

Yes, there are places I haven't been to that I want to do before. It's on the bucket list. Eastern Europe, I haven't done. So I'd like to do Prague especially. But yeah, other eastern areas like Russia, and maybe Croatia and Portugal and all those areas. I've been to Greece, but I'd like to do a Greek trip as well. I'd like to go back to an area of Greece that I loved - Kalambaka, and if you've ever been there, it's stunning. And there's these massive cliffs. And whenever they were built was I think nuns for nuns. And they're right into the cliff faces. It's like it makes you wonder how they built them. It's but the village itself is just beautiful. Yeah, it's just a very different part of Greece. It's not like on the coast. It's as you imagine all the white buildings and that is just a different area. And I'd love to go back there.

It's like a different world.

Yeah, it is. It's beautiful.

Would you brave Eastern European on winter or would you go in summer?

I'd prefer summer. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I feel like you're a bit limited in colder weather. I mean, I love cold weather. Because I'm from the southern highlands in golden. Born and raised. The I think travelling wise, it's just easy. You suitcases light? Yeah. Yeah, it's, you know, shorts and a singlet top, whatever. Yeah, it's, it's a bit more. It's a lot easier, I think. Yeah. Yes.

And just a question about cooking as well. You said, so did you learn or everything from family like from your mom? Or did you develop your own style and your recipes?

I've have learned a lot from mom, especially sources, because she was amazing. She was a fan. Fantastic cook. And in my childhood. It wasn't like today where you hear about all the cooking shows and the cooks. And is it. Mitch, what's the name of the Start starts for them when they

Michelin something. Yeah. Anyway. Oh, yeah.

You know, I can. And I'm from a country town, too. So you didn't really hear about it. But she was. She could just make anything. I'm kind of not like that sort of Cook. I'm a recipe person. But I do know how to basically make a source out of anything on making.

Oh, wow. Yeah. Yeah. I like source on things.

Yeah. Yeah. Source makes it. It's probably the most fattening part of dish.

That's right. We'll deal with that later. There's always GYM five days.

Starving yourself the next week.

So it seemed like you are passionate about many things. But if you had to choose one, or maybe there is something else that you haven't mentioned yet, what are you most passionate about?

Well, I don't know. I just I like the mixture in my life. Yeah, I don't know. Can’t choose just one thing. I couldn't know. That'd be a bit boring. Yeah. Mix it up a little bit. That's right. That's right.

So everyone knows that with age we change but what positive changes have you experienced as you're growing older?

I'm a lot calmer and more relaxed and what I used to be a lot more people Patient but I'm still impatient. But I am a lot patient more patient, mom would be proud of that. I did not inherit that gene. She was had the patience of an angel. I don't have that gene. Just more confidence in myself, then I'm not the most confident person. However, I think I portray that. So yeah, but underneath.

Yeah, that's what it's good. It's a skill to

And yes, you know, because it's been a comment made to me a lot. When someone gets to know me, like I say, a manager. And they go, I don't know what's happened in your life. But you're not this confident person that you portray… very sensitive. Yeah. Yeah.

But you're okay with that. Right. That's just who you are.

It is who I am. And I don't have to change for anybody. It is maybe it's kind of good in, in a way. Yeah. Yeah. Treat You awfully a little bit more. But I don't always.

Yeah, yeah. Fair enough. None of us are perfect. What is the biggest challenge you're experiencing at this age now?

I think I just want to be able to remain where I'm working till I retire. And my fear would be if I were to lose my job, because I have been there with the GFC. And I was out of work for eight months, or at another time. And that's probably my biggest fear. At this age, because of your age, like, I never put my age on my CV. Never. Because you just discriminated. Definitely, I've been in interviews where they really went on about the culture. And I could tell by the way the interview was going, it was a young culture. And I, I just shut down immediately when they started doing that, because I thought, I'm not going to get this job. And when I got out of the job, and I had to call the agent and I told them I said it was just disgusting. Like, and they said, our thanks for letting us know that we're going to say something because that's just not on.

But it's silly. It's what you bring to the role, your experience, your knowledge. It doesn't matter what AGI capable of doing the job, then

I just particularly remember that interview just made me feel terrible. And that was I was probably maybe 50. Yes.

Yeah, and they're not getting any younger. They are the same age.

I get along with everybody doesn't matter what your age is. What your level is. Everybody can learn whether they're younger or older, same age, same level, a lower level, higher level, whatever, you know, like people. Yeah, everybody can learn from anybody, you know? Yeah, that's my opinion.

Yeah. I agree. Describe your greatest accomplishment.

I think my law degree my arts degree.

Yeah. So you have to law and yeah, it's quite different. What made you choose that?

Well, I had to get a degree to do my law degree. Right. Yeah. So I just chose arts.

Did you enjoy it more than you thought you would? Or? It was a Yeah,

I did. It was hot. Both of them are hard work. Yeah. Especially the law degree. A lot of reading. I, I actually, I was an avid reader prior to my law degree and now at a magazine just Yeah,

but you finished your degree.

I did. I did finish it. And after it. My flatmate Nye went to Africa. Oh, nice to celebrate the celebrate. So we went for it was a world trip because I visited friends in America. I met up with marine New York. And then we went to Bath because I didn't want to be in the state in a big city like London as I was just so wired because I was working two jobs to pay for my law degree. And then I did college of law. So I was like, Yeah, and so we stayed in Bath made a wonderful friend there. Xavier, who's now in Sydney and was still in contact with and great friends with and then we went from there to Africa. And yeah, it was beautiful. It was a great trip. Yeah.

So you never wanted to practice law like actually be

Yeah, I tried to get a job but it was just so difficult. Just I couldn't even count how many applications just at that time.

Wow, I would have thought everyone always needs lawyers.

Yeah, it was just I couldn't even get an interview was just so difficult. Yeah, but that's okay. I've I'll always be able to use it. Exactly.

And you do, right. Yeah. Yeah. With the contracts, and they really don't now. So you still Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

I've been a contract administrator and other jobs. Yes.

What advice would you give your 30 year old self.

Don't stress about the small stuff. Don't put up with crap from in relationships. That's a big one, like, just walk away. And just don't, don't enable that behaviour in any shape, way or form. Just relax and enjoy.

Every day is a blessing right there. What advice would you give younger women who will eventually undergo these changes? So once they start to grow older and it to your age, what advice would you give them?

Probably the same advice, just enjoy life. Stay strong. Look after yourself. Because when you do get older. That's why to me trainings really important. Because as you get older, I when I broke my leg, it was so easy for me to walk around on crutches straightaway. And the other ladies in the ward couldn't believe how I was just getting around on them. And I how I could lift my whole body but because you were fit. Yeah, so that's really important to do that. Yeah, it makes you feel good about Yeah. takes care of you. So it's good for you mentally. And physically. Yeah. Gets rid of pain too

Where do you think the idea of a perfect body image comes from?

Magazines, social media, sadly,

sadly, um, do you think friends family have any influence? Or it's more everything that's on TV and magazines?

No, not with me. It never has. That I've always been strong with that and felt good how I was too, like, I've always kept fit. And so now I never had family or friends. Pressure,

a lot more confident. And you say you are confident?

That's what I mean. portray that?

What does it mean to you feeling good and looking good? And what do you think comes first?

Right? Well, that's like asking the chicken and the egg question really, isn't it? Yeah, the chicken or the egg? First? I have a little quote that I've always said, I don't know. I've since like, 20s. My mum said it to me. I don't know how I know it. But it's a saying that if you can look at yourself in the mirror, and when you're about to leave, where they're going out or for the day, and you can smile at yourself, then you'll be able to smile at the world and feel confident.

That's a good tree. I'm going to try that try.

Yeah, I bet you it works. If if you don't smile, if you can't smile at yourself, and you're not feeling good. And then to answer the question. It's like, if you feel good, you look good. If you look good, you feel good. So it's I don't know which one comes first

Yeah, they are connected at some very cool effects. You're right. Like, you look good. You still even a little bit feel better. Right?

And you'll just put that onto people too.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. reflected, reflected out there. What makes you makes us specifically feel the most beautiful?

Being happy, and content. That's about it.

All we need is happiness. Yeah. And what is your favourite quote about being a woman? And you shared that

there are so many Yeah. There's one I've seen recently that there's like, When a woman goes out to do a challenge, actually write it down a challenge. Wink, wink at it before you do it or something.

Yeah, yeah. So it's sort of easygoing approach

When you go for the challenge, and you wink at it. It's like, I'm gonna get you. Yeah. I will find you. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, like, beat this challenge. Yeah, yeah.

I'll be successful. Yeah. Thank you so much, Denise, thank you for sharing this little wisdom there and your story and Thank you for today very much.

Thank you.

If you have an interesting story to share would love for you to participate. You can email us at info@aleksandrawalker.com or visit our website, www. aleksandrawalker.com

 

This is the 45 over 45 chapter of MY BODY MY STORY podcast, where we celebrate rule breakers and role models - the women who inspire us to live life our way and to show their SENSUALITY,  BEAUTY, SOUL, and TRUE ESSENCE.

 

For more information about the project visit:

https://www.aleksandrawalker.com/45-over-45

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