The stress was killing her. Or maybe it was the cigarettes. Whatever the cause, Sophie Shield was on a downward slide.
The mother of three, who was focused on forging a successful career in real estate, knew something had to change. A significant birthday (the Big Four Oh) seemed like a good point at which to start her transformation.
"When I got to 40, I thought 'Ohmigawd, I need to do something'," says Sophie, now 43. "I gave up smoking and really got back into fitness."
Gym work and boot camps worked wonders, both physically and mentally, to the point where Sophie felt she could step it up a notch and compete against the clock. She did a test walk/run at the 2016 Queenstown Half Marathon and, after that went well, will now participate in the May 13 Air New Zealand Hawke's Bay International Marathon.
She will join nearly 10,000 other athletes in the running festival, with routes incorporating 42km, 21km, 10km and 3km kids run options. Participants will take in the best highlights of the region, with flat easy running via local cycle trails, vineyards, olive groves and quiet country roads.