As we step into a new year, this episode of The Happy Menopause explores what it really means to age creatively – and how we can rediscover joy, confidence and adventure as we grow older.
I’m delighted to welcome back Jo Moseley, 6 years after she first shared her story with us of breaking down in a Tesco biscuit aisle during perimenopause – a moment that became the catalyst for a powerful midlife transformation. Since then, Jo has become the first woman to paddleboard coast-to-coast across England, written award-winning books, made short films and championed joyful, adventurous ageing.
In our catch-up chat, we talk about the healing power of nature, the confidence that comes from gentle challenges, and why being a beginner can be one of the most liberating things we do in mid and later life. Jo also shares how the outdoors has supported her through grief, heartbreak and major life changes, and why small, consistent steps matter far more than big resolutions.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, tired or stuck at the start of the year, this episode offers reassurance, perspective and practical inspiration. You don’t need to be fearless or fit -just willing to begin, exactly where you are.
Photo Credit: Jumpy James
Show Notes
Find out more about Jo and her adventures, or sign up to her Life to the Full Celebrating 60 newsletter on her website.
Listen to my previous interview with Jo, for the full lowdown on her coast-to-coast challenge in Season 1, Episode 18.
Follow Jo on Instagram and Facebook, or email her at jomoseley@yahoo.com to organise a talk.
Watch her Brave Enough film, the story of her coast-to-coast paddleboard adventure.
Check out the trailer for her new film Skinny about her wild swimming adventure.
Buy Jo’s wonderful travel books:
Stand Up Paddleboarding in the Lake District – Beautiful Places to Paddleboard in Cumbria
Adventures on the Water – The Power of Paddleboarding to Change Lives
Biography
Jo Moseley, 61, is a bestselling & award winning author of three books about paddleboarding, a podcast host, speaker and award winning short filmmaker.
A cold water dipper, beach cleaner & newly enthusiastic runner Jo credits the outdoors with helping her navigate grief, loss, the menopause, empty nesting and now caring for her 92 year old father.
In 2019 she became the first woman to paddleboard coast to coast from Liverpool to Goole, picking up litter & fundraising.
A film about her adventure called Brave Enough – A Journey Home to Joy has been screened at prestigious adventure festivals to a great response.
In 2025 she made a film with fellow author Sara Barnes called Skinny which tells the story of a skinny dip in an ancient woodland in the Lake District and focusses on female friendship, the freedom of ageing and immersing ourselves in nature.
Jo has a particular interest in how outdoor adventures – big and small – can help us age well and have a healthier, happier and longer life. You’ll often see her turning her beach clean into a beach workout!
Jo hopes to age bravely, creatively and adventurously. She believes you’re never too old for an adventure and it’s not too late to make a difference. “If you have even the tiniest spark of a dream for an adventure, you owe it to yourself to try & make it come true.” she says.
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