Bigger, Not Smaller

November 25 · 8.30am-10.30am · Extract Coffee Roasters, London

A shot of inspiration on longevity.

We’ve been sold a story about ageing: that it’s a slow fading out. Our bodies decline, our worlds shrink, and the best we can hope for is to hold on to what we’ve got.

This shot tells a different story. It’s honest about what changes, and optimistic about what’s possible.

Midlife brings a biochemical shift that touches every cell in the body. Trying to “stop the clock” isn’t just exhausting, it’s a waste of a remarkable moment. Our three speakers have each found a different way through: one by chasing world-ranking race results and personal bests, one by rebuilding her health from the inside out, and one by walking into the sea she once feared.

Studio portrait of a smiling woman wearing a cozy blue sweater and a matching patterned scarf. The atmosphere is warm, friendly, and approachable.

Abby Richardson
Author of Do Blue, was the child who dreaded the school swimming gala. In her 40s she found herself walking into the freezing sea in November. She’ll talk about changing a lifelong label, the role water plays in grief and loss, and why you don’t have to be good at something for it to change your life.

Studio portrait of a blonde woman with a bright smile looking at the camera. The neutral background and soft lighting create a friendly and professional tone.

Jane Heathwood
Gym owner and HYROX athlete, is a single mum, business owner and four-time HYROX World Championship qualifier with six podium finishes and top-20 world rankings in her age group. Still chasing personal bests, she recently ran a 19:23 5K and has her sights on sub-19. She’ll share how movement builds confidence and community, and how she makes time to train while running a business and raising a family.

Studio portrait of a woman wearing a vibrant orange blazer. The bright, neutral background provides a modern and professional aesthetic.

Rebekah Brown
Founder of MPOWDER, collects women’s midlife stories for a living and works to close the data gap in female health. She’ll share how ignoring every signal her body sent during perimenopause led to a full shutdown, and how becoming her own “N=1” research project changed the way she sees health, family and ambition.

Meet the speakers

What we’ll explore

Why ageing can expand your world, not shrink it. The evidence on purpose, empathy and entrepreneurship in midlife, and why many of the most successful founders are not twenty-somethings in a garage.
You can still go after big physical goals. What it takes to keep getting fitter, faster and stronger in midlife, and how to train around a body that’s changing.
What actually changes, and how to adapt rather than stop. Staying physically capable, nutritionally sound, and mentally and emotionally balanced through perimenopause and beyond.
Push or pause? When to chase a PB and when to simply float. Why ambition and restoration both belong in a healthy midlife.
Where you are, not just what you do. Why environment matters, and how time near water (no wetsuit required) can restore us in ways a to-do list can’t.
Making time for yourself. Honest talk on fitting your own health around work, children and ageing parents.