My life as a mum has made me so much calmer, says marathon hero Paula Radcliffe

Now 43 and having retired from competitive running, the relaxed mother of two seems nothing like the highly strung and often tearful athlete of her heyday. 

And it appears that the many setbacks and crises she has faced on and off the track over the years have kept her grounded and with a good sense of perspective. 

“Having my lovely family has really helped to give my life balance,” says Paula, who married her former manager, Gary Lough, 46, in 2000. 

The couple now live in Monaco with their two children, Isla, 10, and Raphael, six. 

“Being a mum has made me so much calmer,” she adds. 

“At the end of the day you simply can’t get too embroiled in your own dramas, as when you get home children want to tell you all about their day and what is happening in their lives.” 

Although not one to dwell on regrets, she admits that in the past there have been times in her life when she has struggled to cope. 

After breaking records at the London Marathon in 2002, Paula was expected to bring home a gold medal at the Olympics in Athens two years later but due to injury she was unable to finish her race and faced an outburst of public derision at home. “That was very difficult,” recalls Paula. 

“I felt I’d let everyone down. As an athlete I had learnt how to be physically resilient and I had to build on my mental strength.” 

Then of course there was that well-documented public pit stop at the London Marathon in 2005, followed by years of injury that blighted her Olympic ambitions. 

“Competing was never stressful to me because I knew that if I’d put in the preparation and hard work and had the right attitude I would do well,” says Paula. 

“What was difficult was dealing with the unexpected. After all, you don’t plan to get injured and I think resilience is learning to adapt to change and to never regret.” 

Perhaps the most difficult time in her life came, she says, in 2014 when she was embroiled in unfounded doping allegations. 

Paula, always an avid anti-doping campaigner, was cleared of any wrongdoing at the beginning of last year but she admits that she found the whole affair incredibly stressful. 

One of her greatest assets during that difficult period, she says, was not only the support of her family but also her innate ability to open up. 

“I was brought up to talk about my feelings rather than burying them and I have always found that an incredible help. I teach my children to do the same if they have problems.” 

Then of course there was running; an instant stress-buster, that has always been a great passion as well as a career. She has also become keen on kayaking since moving to Monaco. 

“I am so lucky to live in such a beautiful place and to be able to enjoy such stunning scenery as I exercise,” she says. 

“I feel grateful as it makes it very easy to switch off.” 

With the doping allegations now behind her, Paula truly appreciates all the good things in her life. 

And she knows her children are very fortunate to be growing up in Monaco, where they can ski, swim and climb mountains. 

“It’s a slower, more relaxed pace of life,” she says. 

“We can take the kids out for a meal late into the evening and they will get really good, nutritious food. It certainly won’t be chicken nuggets and chips.” 

However, she is not prescriptive about their diet. “They are very active and they eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and take their vitamins, so I certainly don’t ban anything. It’s all about balance, isn’t it?” Both Isla and Raphael are very sporty and Paula never has to worry that they’re not exercising. 

“If they’re not out in the water, they’re on their bikes or running around,” she says. 

“They belong to various clubs and if they wanted to make a career out of sport that wouldn’t worry me. In fact I’d support them all the way.” 

One of Paula’s bugbears is the fact that so many children lose out on the opportunity to shine at sport because schools have taken the competitive element out of it. 

She also fears that a whole generation is growing up without ever learning how to be really active. 

“Kids should be out running around,” she insists. 

“But often they’re not allowed to do things such as French skipping or gymnastics in the playground and at home there are all these electronic devices. 

“Being inactive isn’t good for children mentally or physically. I feel strongly about this.” 

These days, Paula is juggling motherhood with a new career as a sports commentator but instead of pushing herself as she might have done in the past, she tries to be kind to her body. 

Diagnosed with asthma at the age of 13, she confounded doctors who never believed she’d be able to make it in elite sport. 

“As with any condition, it’s about managing it,” stresses Paula, who regularly uses an inhaler and boosts her immune system with a supplement called Revive Active, containing vitamins and minerals. 

“Part of leading a healthy life is simply listening to your body and knowing what it needs, after all.” 

● Paula Radcliffe is an ambassador for Revive Active, a brand of energy-boosting super supplements including the Revive Active flagship product, and Revive Active: Joint Complex. For more information on the product and stockists visit reviveactive.com.