Downsizing
Page 20
In the ensuing general election, Labour held the Batley and Spen seat, with Jo gaining an increased majority. It was nothing less than she deserved, I told her when I rang to offer my congratulations.
Just over a year later this wonderful human being was dead, murdered by a right-wing extremist during her constituency surgery in Birstall. It was the worst day of my political life.
Arriving at Oakwell Park that Sunday morning, I felt supercharged with emotion. The previous afternoon, on what would have been her forty-fifth birthday, I’d organised a ‘Great Get Together’ picnic at Dartmouth Park in West Bromwich, where a large group of us, including fellow MP Liam Byrne, had celebrated Jo’s life and work (hundreds of other similar events in her name were taking place across the UK, too). While it had been an inspiring and uplifting occasion, it had made me realise how much Jo was missed, not just by her friends and family, but by the world of politics in general. In her maiden speech to parliament, she’d maintained that ‘we have more in common than that which divides us.’ Those words had become more powerful than ever before.
Experiencing the carnival atmosphere and the community ethos at the RunForJo event helped to lift my spirits, though. Everywhere I turned people were beaming with happiness – toddlers, teenagers, parents, grandparents – and the organisers had laid on an array of street food and kids’ entertainers. Jo’s sister Kim, a qualified personal trainer, even led a pre-race warm-up on the main field, encouraging us all to move our bodies to some cheesy eighties tunes. Malachy stood on the perimeter, pointing and laughing as he watched his dad and sister throwing some serious shapes.
The family run started at 11 a.m. It wasn’t easy, by any stretch – the ground underfoot was muddy and boggy, and much of the route was uphill – but any discomfort I felt was outweighed by a deep sense of pride. For the first time in my life I was taking part in a community run, and positively buzzed off all the warmth and camaraderie. And, best of all, I found myself jogging alongside my beloved daughter, sharing in that fun, fresh air and freedom that only outdoor activity could give you. I only wished I’d done all this a decade earlier, of course – all those wasted years I’d spent slumped on the sofa slurping cans of cola – but this was not the time for any lingering regret.
That was then, Tom, I thought to myself as I jogged past Oakwell Hall. This is now.
I was pleasantly surprised with my performance (no wheezes, no pit-stops) and, as Saoirse and I crossed the finishing line together, holding hands, I found myself overcome with emotion. I shed a tear or two, I’m not ashamed to admit it.
‘Go, Team Watson!’ yelled Malachy, capturing our moment on his phone’s camera.
Within days, I’d printed and framed that snapshot, and had put it on my House of Commons office desk, in pride of place. The photograph wasn’t just a memento of how far I’d come on my weight-loss journey, though. Taken by my son, and featuring my daughter, it was also a lasting reminder of why I’d embarked upon it in the first place.
Acknowledgements
As Aristotle would probably have said, you make your own luck in life. If I’d turned down a 5am start to be interviewed by ITV’s Susanna Reid about Type 2 diabetes, she would not have suggested I write a book about my health journey. Without her interview, the fabulously talented literary agent (and Good Morning Britain viewer), Rory Scarfe might not have been curious enough to pick up the phone to me.
When Rory phoned he suggested I tell my eating and health story. He teamed me up with the remarkably talented and ever patient co-writer Jo Lake, without whom this book would not exist. To this triumvirate of talent, I will be forever grateful.
And double thanks go to Rory and his team at The Neil Blair Partnership for introducing Jo and I to Kyle Books. Judith Hannam, Joanna Copestick, Caroline Brown and the whole team were incredibly supportive throughout, even when the chaotic world of politics screwed up deadlines.
I couldn’t have got fit without the advice of Clayton, Nic and Jay, three experienced fitness professionals who taught me a huge amount as I moved from park bench press-up to gym bench chest press. I am very fortunate to have been given an understanding of the wider fitness industry by the good people at UK Active, the organisation that seeks to spread the joy of good health and fitness to everyone in the UK. Thanks to Huw Edwards, Tanni Grey-Thompson and the team for their advice on policy. And to Andrew Denton at the Outdoor Industries Association, thank you for your advice on peddling, paddling and rock hopping. You are an inspiration. Every time I visit the gym I hear the voice of Phil Wood in my head. It’s more than 40 years since he taught me PE but like all the very best teachers, he’s still making a difference.
The changes I needed to make would not have happened without reading and listening to an array of clinicians, scientists, writers and biohackers, many of whom will never know what a profound impact they have had on my life. Special thanks go to my GP Dr Shaukat Nazeer, Clare Nasir, Max Wind Cowie, Dr Michael Mosley, Dr Matthew Walker, Dr Aseem Malhotra, Dr Jeff Volek, Dr Stephen Phinney, Dave Asprey and Peter Attia MD.
I couldn’t have found the time to get fit without the support and flexibility of my team in Westminster: Alicia Kennedy, Sarah Coombes, Haf Davies, Barbara Hearn, Nicole Trehy and former team members, Jo Dalton, Danny Adilypour, James Robinson, Dominic Murphy, Clare Cole, Tom Hamilton and Sarah Goulbourne. My West Bromwich team, who looked on in amazement, were similarly supportive, particularly Kim Frazer and Simon Hackett who never thought they’d see me leaping over gates and running up garden paths.
I have a message to the men of a certain age with whom I enjoy a friendly rivalry involving daily step and weight measurements, run lengths, cycle distances, pool distances and general health banter. Steve Torrance, James Gurling, David Wild, Michael Dugher, Bill Thomas, Dave Ashlee, Dan Watson, Chris Jenkinson and Conrad Bourne, all I can say is try a bit harder tomorrow.
I got fit to live longer for Malachy and Saoirse. Thank you to them and Siobhan for their love and support. And thanks also to Sarah, Gabriel, Rafa and Manny for their humour, encouragement and expert advice on socks and waterproofs.
My final thanks go to the many hundreds of people who have either written, emailed, tweeted or stopped me in the street to give encouragement and feedback. You have been and remain my inspiration.
An Hachette UK Company
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First published in Great Britain in 2020 by
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eISBN: 978 0 85783 875 9
Text copyright 2020 © Tom Watson
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