Two years to CHANGE MY LIFE

When Rhona Cullinan hit rock bottom, mentally and physically, she set herself a time frame to turn things around

- GILLIAN HARVEY, JADE BEECROFT

When she decided to weigh herself on her 48th birthday in March 2021, wedding celebrant Rhona had been bracing herself for bad news. Juggling her busy job as well as caring for three children with disabilities - Jamie, now 21, and Joshua, 10, who have autism, and Molly, now eight, who has Down's syndrome - had meant Rhona had neglected her own health. But she hadn't expected to be too heavy for the scales, gasping as an 'error' message appeared on the display.

Her relationship with Joshua and Molly's father had also broken down, although at the time they were still living together. 'At size 26-28 and weighing 24 stone, I felt I'd hit rock bottom,' says Rhona, now 52, from Dublin. 'But I set myself a challenge to turn things around by the time I turned 50.'

Rather than focus purely on physical challenges, Rhona wanted to transform all areas of her life. 'A lot of my problems stemmed from stress and mindset,' Rhona admits. 'I knew I had to work on myself from the inside out.'

A few years earlier, Rhona had discovered CBD oil. Recommended by a nurse, it had relieved some of Joshua's autism symptoms. For her son it had been transformational, but now, it was time for Rhona's own transformation.