Main Image Credit - Jumpy James
As the year begins with short days and long nights, you may be thinking about what 2026 might hold for you.
You might be carrying a hope to begin something new, or a feeling that it is time for a change, even if you are not quite sure what that looks like yet. Excitement and doubt often sit side by side at the start of something, especially when it nudges us beyond our comfort zone.
So when we heard that award winning author and friend of FINDRA, Jo Moseley, had completed Couch to 5K on Christmas Day, just one day before her 61st birthday, we wanted to pause and find out more. Not just about the challenge itself, but about what inspired her to begin, and why starting small still matters.
Hi Jo, you have been part of the FINDRA community for a long time. For those who are new here, can you introduce yourself and tell us a little about what you have been up to lately?
As you know, I’ve been a fan of FINDRA for many years. I still wear the navy neck warmer I bought in 2016.
I’m now 61 and live on the Yorkshire coast in an old fisherman’s cottage with my 92-year-old Dad, whom I look after. I moved here in early 2025 after a long-term relationship ended and have been building a joyful new life here. I swim and paddleboard at sunrise, do a daily beach clean and have just completed Couch to 5K. I run along the cliff-top trails and the beach.
I’m a single Mum of two grown-up sons and have a beautiful camper van called Summer. I enjoy going on little adventures with her and have just come back from St Abbs in Scotland.
Professionally, over the last 5 years, I’ve written 3 books about the joy of paddleboarding. Two are gorgeous guidebooks - Stand Up Paddleboarding in Great Britain - Beautiful Places to Paddleboard in England, Scotland and Wales and Stand Up Paddleboarding in the Lake District - Beautiful Places to Paddleboard in Cumbria. The latter won the Lakeland Book Awards Zeffirelli's Guides & Places Award in 2025, and I was lucky enough to meet Sir Chris Bonnington!
My latest book is Adventures on the Water - The Power of Paddleboarding to Change Lives. The first of its kind within SUP, it is a collection of 27 personal essays about how paddleboarding can benefit our lives physically, emotionally, socially and mentally. It was shortlisted for The Great Outdoors Magazine awards.
You started running recently, at age 60. What made you take on this new challenge?
I completed Couch to 5K on Christmas Day - one day before my 61st birthday! I think it’s the 3rd time I’ve completed the programme but something has been different about it this time.
I am doing it entirely for me and simply enjoying the freedom of being on the beach or cliff tops. I have a couple of long term dreams for running a little further than 5K but am putting no pressure on myself.
It was quite serendipitous how I started. I was doing some freelance creative work for a client sharing a healthy living quiz. It made me realise I wanted and needed to do something that would stretch me for my heart health. I had been rowing and paddleboarding on the sea in the summer which had been wonderful. With 9 weeks until the end of 2025, Couch to 5K gave me a self care goal for the darker days in November and December when the sea can be rough. It seemed like a sign and I simply started!
Do you have any other plans for 2026?
My main focus is looking after my Dad alongside work and writing. Time outdoors really supports all these roles and responsibilities! So there’ll definitely be lots of sunrise swims and paddleboarding on the sea, my daily 2 Minute Beach Clean and building a strong foundation for my running. I’d also like to start making my beach walks into beach workouts - taking my kettlebell with me - and continuing my headstand and sit and rise practice.
Personally and professionally I’m very interested in researching the benefits of outdoor adventures - big and small - for women to lead healthier, happier and longer lives.
I’m speaking at the National Outdoor Expo in March about the outdoors and the menopause and how being active in the fresh air can be one part of our selfcare toolbox during this chapter of our lives.
And I hope to keep sharing the message that you’re never too old and it’s never too late to start a new hobby or sport, whether that’s running, cycling, wild swimming or paddleboarding.
My dream is to age bravely, creatively and adventurously and encourage other women to find the joy of outdoor adventures - big or small - for their wellbeing.
What would you say to women in our FINDRA community who want to add more outdoor adventures into their busy lives?
Looking after our wellbeing matters, not just for how we feel today, but for our long term health too. Devoting time and attention to self care when we are juggling so much isn’t selfish, it’s crucial.
The outdoors offers us so many benefits - a place to move freely and feel strong, a space to destress and think clearly. Plus, it’s a place to find community, purpose and joy.
I always say: Start small, start just as you are and start today.
Don’t wait for motivation or for the right time, action creates motivation so do something small and simple today for you and build upon it.
That may be taking two minutes in the morning standing by your back door with a mug of tea listening to the birds before the day begins. Getting morning light is so good for our circadian rhythm and sleep.
Or taking a ten minute walk after a meal and then adding a few more minutes over time or including a few squats or press-ups on the side of a bench.
If you’re looking for a new sport, “unleash your inner beginner” and enjoy the sense of accomplishment that learning something new brings. For example, paddleboarding lessons or join a mountain biking course so you can find out what you need to know safety, technique and kit wise.
I’ve realised I like the structure of a challenge such as completing Couch to 5K or 12 Dips in December for Cancer Research UK which I did to support a friend’s fundraising. Right now I’m taking part in RED January.
One of my favourite personal challenges was Rain or Shine 30 when I set myself a goal to spend 30 minutes a day outdoors. That was back in 2016 when my knee was healing and my first SUP lesson was part of that. It led to quite a life changing moment. As I often say, for the first time in a long time, I felt “like a warrior not a worrier” as I stood on the board. Rain or Shine 30 is a simple but powerful practice to include in your day.
Image Credit - Jumpy James
Having the structure of a challenge or daily practice might be something to help get you going and carrying on!
Finally, community is such an important part of the outdoors. That might be joining a wild swimming or hiking group so you not only have friends to share the experience with but also the accountability of turning up when maybe you’d rather pull the duvet on and snooze the alarm!
If you still feel unsure about joining a group, there is also a lovely sense of community online where you can cheer each other along, gain inspiration and ask for tips.
And remember, you’re not too old and it’s not too late to start something new or return to a hobby or adventure that you once loved but life got in the way.
You spend a lot of time outdoors and often choose Merino wool for those moments. You also regularly share and tag FINDRA in your work and social channels. What is it about Merino, and FINDRA in particular, that works for you?
I choose to wear FINDRA because I know it will keep me comfortable without having to think about it. On a cold winter morning it keeps me warm when I am getting started, but once I am moving it regulates my temperature beautifully, so I never feel clammy or overheated. I can just focus on the run rather than what I am wearing.
I also love how the base layer fits. It sits neatly without feeling bulky and it looks great too. There have been times when I have come straight in from a run, jumped onto a work Zoom call, and nobody had any idea I had been on the beach cooling down just minutes before. I felt comfortable and looked smart, which really matters to me.
The odour resistant properties of Merino wool are another huge plus. During the nine weeks of Couch to 5K I only washed my base layer once, which still amazes me. It makes life so much simpler.
FINDRA fits just as seamlessly into the rest of my outdoor life. I often pull on my Merino leggings and base layer after a swim, or wear them under my drysuit and layers when I am paddleboarding on colder days.
It is also perfect for van adventures in Summer. I wear my leggings and base layer in bed to stay cosy without overheating, and I can travel for days without needing to wash them. They pack down so easily and spring back looking great, which is ideal when space is limited.
And it is not just for adventures. At Kendal Mountain Festival last November I curated and hosted a panel called You’re Not Too Old, It’s Not Too Late. It was a chilly day in a huge marquee, and I wore my base layer and leggings under a dress. They kept me warm, comfortable, and cool under pressure too.
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us, Jo. We are looking forward to hearing more about your plans for 2026. Where can people follow along?
Thank you so much for inviting me to share!
I’m @jomoseley on Instagram and Facebook.
My website is www.jomoseley.com and my podcast The Joy of SUP - The Paddleboarding Sunshine Podcast. My books are published by Vertebrate Publishing www.adventurebooks.com.
I look forward to wearing FINDRA throughout 2026!
Sunday Inspiration
Favourite Book
Stand-Up Paddleboarding in Great Britain by Jo Moseley
Jo has written three books on paddleboarding since 2020. Her first, Stand-up Paddleboarding in Great Britain is an essential read for anyone curious about starting. Available at FINDRA, exclusively with 15% off for readers of this blog. Follow the link to find out more.
Favourite Quote
Favourite Song
"My favourite song at the moment is "Unstoppable". I listen to it when I’m walking up to the top of the cliff to run along the trail or running on the beach."
