Make a strong start

GLADIATORS star and former Olympian Montell Douglas - a self-proclaimed “queen of reinvention” impressed us with her ballroom moves on the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing and believes embracing new experiences is key to building both confidence and strength.

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"I'm the queen of reinvention, I love to try new things," says the 39-year-old. "For me, I feel strong when I've just gone and tried something new for the first time. I think it gives you that vitality of life and helps keep my mind fresh."

The athlete competed in the 100m at Beijing 2008 and was part of the bobsleigh team at Beijing 2022 making her the first British woman to compete in different sports at both the Olympic summer and winter games.

But now Montell also known as Fire on BBC1's Gladiators - says she finds her greatest strength in the simple, everyday moments.

"Strength to me is definitely a feeling opposed to me doing something. I feel at my strongest when I am doing what I love and am able to function really competently in my daily life," says Montell, who was partnered with professional dancer Johannes Radebe on Strictly. "I am at my strongest when I feel like my day-to-day lifestyle is seamless, when I am sleeping better and I'm eating better.

"Being strong allows me to be able to be my best self in my daily life. Just doing everyday activities without feeling pain, for me, is the key for everything."

Montell has now joined forces with Holland & Barrett for a new campaign encouraging lifelong strength and is using her platform to push back against gender stereotypes tied to strength.

"Strength can feel like quite a masculine word, so many women might be scared to go to the gym and build muscle, but you need muscle to do every single thing in your life," notes Montell. "You need it to be able to pick up a bottle or to get into your car. Strength doesn’t have to be about gender, it can just help you feel stronger and better in yourself."