When I celebrated my 59th birthday, I set myself a challenge: 60 for 60. Sixty experiences or achievements before I turned 60. It was a way of pushing myself to try things I might have otherwise overlooked. I blogged about each one—from reading unexpected books, qualifying as a professional coach, to hiking the Three Yorkshire Peaks.

A New Decade, A New Challenge

On my 60th birthday, I decided to raise the bar: 70 for 70. Seventy achievements/experiences in ten years. It started slowly—perhaps too slowly. In hindsight, I should have seized those early months more energetically. After all, there’s no guarantee of having the full 520 weeks. Still, I made some memorable early gains: hiking the Three Welsh Peaks, swimming in a cenote, climbing a Mayan Pyramid.

Then came the pandemic. Everything slowed down. And, if I’m honest, I started to forget about the challenge altogether.

Six Years In—and Counting

Now, six years into the decade, I’ve completed 30 of my 70 experiences—and a few have make me feel proud. I’ve:

• Climbed Carrauntoohil (Ireland’s highest peak)
• Competed in Hyrox solo twice and in doubles twice
• Completed the Surrey Three Peaks
• Walked 140 miles of the SW Coast Path
• Went back to University
• Co-written a book chapter
• Started painting
• Danced at Coco Bongo in Cancun, Mexico
• Done birthday burpees in Central Park, New York
• Crossed the second-longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world

That leaves 40 to go, with four years left. Ten per year. Completely doable. But there’s a catch.

My Changing Body

One thing I hadn’t factored in was how much my body would change in this decade. In my 50s, I felt strong and capable. Even more so once I’d recovered from open heart surgery. But further health challenges and the inevitable age related decline in fitness which speeds up in the 6th decade is taking its toll.

Paradoxically, I’m the strongest I’ve ever been. One of my proudest 70 for 70 achievements has been deadlifting 120kg—and I believe I can go heavier. But my endurance has dropped. In my late 50s, I could run a 5K in 32 minutes. Now it takes me 48. Although being on beta blockers may be contributing to my glacial pace.

Still, I persevere. I’ve signed up for the Royal Parks Half Marathon in November. It gives me a goal. A reason to keep moving. And I’m hopeful I’ll be off the medication by then.

The Confidence Question

I was recently talking with a new coaching client. She was reflecting on a loss of confidence. Was it the menopause? Ageing?

Her words struck a chord. I realised I’m at risk of losing my own confidence. I already feel hesitant to join certain gym classes – I’m too slow. And a recent personal experience left me wondering: Am I still good enough?

Graves’ Disease and the Mental Toll

Graves’ Disease has had a huge impact—not just on my body, but on my mind. It robs you of clarity. Of stamina. Of confidence. The brain fog is real. So is the anxiety and the fatigue. It’s a horrible disease.

I first became ill with Graves Disease in 2021. I recovered and went into remission. I thought I was done with it. But stress – like it so often does with autoimmune conditions—triggered a relapse at the end of last year. And it felt like failure.

And with failure, confidence falters.

The Bigger Picture

It makes me wonder: how many women forego the joys of their final decades because of a loss of confidence? Maybe due to the impact of the menopause or illness. Or a fear of failure. Society is quick to put failure down to being too old. Do we start to feel that we are no longer “enough”?

I don’t have a neat answer. But I do know this: I’ve got 40 more experiences to claim. And I’m not done yet.