Woman battling anorexia thanks her running coach after she came 'close to death'

Aimee Woosnam said the 'main thing' about her ability to control her eating disorder was having a good coach. She began training with Colin Lancaster in August 2018.

The 36-year-old said: "The first thing that began my recovery was the fact that I really wanted to join a running club, but I knew I had to be strong. Colin is an amazing coach who understood me.

"To build some strength, I would just walk up and down a path we call the zig-zag, near Shrewsbury School. Colin would never judge me; being supported by someone like him was better than a medical professional for me, because I didn't feel intimidated. "

Coach Colin said Aimee was determined and 'had a will to live'.

"The most important thing in coaching is that you are open," he said. "It doesn't work if you're not honest with one another. Aimee was open, and she was honest.

"She was close to death, but she was determined to get better and she had a will to live. There has to be that will. She was exercising because she had a love of running, and we were careful to build up her strength."

Aimee developed anorexia at 15 years old during her GCSEs. She said she loved school and was happy there, but her academic achievements led to pressure getting to her.

"Exams are hard for anyone, and I struggled with the pressure of doing well," Aimee said. "I also think the idea of leaving school contributed to my eating disorder, because I was scared.

"Anorexia takes away any sort of normality; the thought of normality becomes scary."

18 years down the line, Aimee began to recover, and she says she now "feels amazing".

"When you get used to a normal life, it's an incredible feeling," she said.

"Your world opens up."

Aimee enrolled on a Physical Education and Youth Sport Coaching course at Staffordshire University, with the first two years delivered at Shrewsbury College, and recently graduated with a first class honours degree.

She is now studying her masters and hopes to help others.

She said: "One of the things this has taught me is that I'm good at something other than starving myself. It gave me a reason to keep pushing and stay healthy, as well as focusing on my studies and hopefully becoming a lecturer.

"I want to inspire students to try their best - it doesn't matter if you don't get a first, it's about trying your best and accepting new challenges and overcoming them. Challenges can be really difficult sometimes but overcoming them can make you stronger.

"We all face challenges and have unforeseen circumstances, it's a part of life. I want people to know that it's OK to ask for help and never be afraid to make mistakes, as you learn from them.

"It takes patience - it's taken me four years to know what I want to do as a career, but it is good to explore different things, you'll eventually find the right answer."