Spalding’s Heather Walker features on Gemma Atkinson’s podcast series The Overshare
A Spalding personal fitness trainer has spoken about her inspirational journey to lose 11 stone on a TV star’s podcast.
Heather Walker (37) who is a personal trainer at Everybody’s Gym, was invited by producers onto Gemma Atkinson’s debut podcast series called The Overshare.
The television star and Hits radio presenter has appeared in Channel Four’s Hollyoaks and Strictly Come Dancing (2017). Her partner is dancer Gorka Marquez from the popular BBC show, with whom she has two children.
Miss Walker said: “I was asked if I would be interested in doing a podcast with Gemma as they had picked up on my story – I am a big fan of Gemma so it was a no-brainer.”
Each podcast episode takes on a different topic ranging from the tear-jerking to the hilarious and Miss Walker appeared as a guest to discuss bodies – why we love them and why we loathe them.
In the half hour show, discussion with other guests centred around body image, gastric bands, fat and skinny shaming, the influence of social media and the presenter said society needs to be ‘less judgemental’.
The actress asked Heather, who leads Tall Girl Works Out, about her ‘amazing weight-loss story’ - her struggle with getting the right help she needed for depression and how she had ‘come out the other side’.
Miss Walker has transformed her lifestyle from 2016 when facing depression she was given antidepressants by a doctor and told she can either be ‘fat and happy or skinny and sad.’
She said: “I was suffering from depression and wanted to end my life – I was stuck in the system and went to the doctors – I am not great at asking for help – they prescribed Sertraline and sent me for counselling – I tried it out but I am not that kind of person.”
Then at a dress size 26, Miss Walker said: “When you have depression you don’t care about yourself and I had a pivotal moment – I wanted more.”
She weaned herself off the medication and went ‘cold turkey’ – though this was not recommended by Abbie, the expert advisor on the show.
Heather said she asked herself: “What can I do? I walked into Everybody’s Gym and if I hadn’t I wouldn’t be here.
“I am now working at the gym so I have come full circle – it is a nice community and I steadily lost weight.
“Mental health and fitness go hand in hand and you have always got to play the long game.”
On the podcast, when Heather says she lost more than 11 stone Gemma Atkinson said: “Wow it’s like another human – amazing.”
The presenter mentions her own struggle with weight loss and pain medication which she was given following an emergency C-section and that she ‘did not feel safe holding her’ baby as it made her ‘dizzy’.
Both feel that a holistic approach to anyone struggling with depression – physical as well as mental health – is a better response than simply using medication.
Gemma said: “If I came to you as my PT I know you’d have my back.
“It is about quality of life – nutrition and moving.
“The better you treat your body the better it treats you back.”
Heather added: “It is all about balance and being healthy – you are what you eat.”
The Overshare with Gemma Atkinson is a weekly podcast from Hits Radio, released every Thursday. Heather’s episode was first released on Thursday, September 21.
