paulacocozza

A new start after 60: I learned to surf – despite the alligators

Kerrie Houston Reightley has always been athletic, and thought she would be able to pick up surfing. Months of ‘crashing and burning’ ensued, but her competitive nature kept her going

Paula Cocozza

13, Nov, 2023 @7:00 AM

A new start after 60: I’ve been an accountant, a sailor, a goat breeder … now I’m a counsellor

After a difficult childhood, three marriages and bereavement, there’s no denying 79-year-old Morag Chisholm brings plenty of life experience to her job

Paula Cocozza

06, Nov, 2023 @7:00 AM

A new start after 60: I was jobless and struggling to pay my mortgage. Busking turned my life around

When Steve Howgego sings opera, passersby tell him he has the voice of an angel. But for years it was silenced by grief and self-doubt

Paula Cocozza

30, Oct, 2023 @8:00 AM

I have spent years in such pain that I begged for someone to cut my arm off. This is how I survived

Amy Pohl was working as a teacher when a medical accident left her with the condition CRPS. She talks about the agony that even doctors struggle to understand – and her new life as a TikTok star

Paula Cocozza

24, Oct, 2023 @4:00 AM

A new start after 60: my son died – so I changed career to keep his dream alive

Jill Wright’s actor son Harry told her she would love working in the theatre. After she lost him, she discovered how right he had been

Paula Cocozza

23, Oct, 2023 @6:00 AM

I have a new job, but the thought of universal credit still gives me anxiety | Sharron Spice

Jeremy Hunt’s plans to toughen the rules for universal credit are nonsensical, says Sharron Spice, who is in her 30s and lives in London

Sharron Spice

19, Oct, 2023 @12:00 PM

A new start after 60: I became a lifeguard – and find every day mind-blowing

After a health scare, Mark Sadler gave up his work as a train engineer. Now he is working outdoors and has never been happier

Paula Cocozza

16, Oct, 2023 @6:00 AM

A new start after 60: A set of carpentry tools deepened my bond with my late father

As a child, Lynn Leggat felt closest to her dad when he taught her woodworking. Just after he died, she was given power tools for her birthday and began making up for lost time

Paula Cocozza

09, Oct, 2023 @6:00 AM

A new start after 60: I wanted to find myself – so I kayaked 6,800 miles alone

Mark Fuhrmann culled his possessions and set off into the deep, where he was chased by an alligator, brushed past a brown bear and saw a great white shark sauntering past ...

Paula Cocozza

02, Oct, 2023 @6:00 AM

I survived three days in a capsized boat on the ocean floor – praying in my air bubble

Harrison Okene had no choice but to listen in the dark as the shouts of his colleagues fell silent. His throat throbbed and his tongue peeled. Ten years on, he explains why he loves the sea more than ever – and decided to become a diver

Paula Cocozza

26, Sep, 2023 @4:00 AM

A new start after 60: I spent my career in IT – but rediscovered my childhood love of music at 70

Chris Raven enjoyed woodwork and music as a boy but ended up working in a very different field. He finally united his two passions after retirement, with a career as a specialist flute maker

Paula Cocozza

25, Sep, 2023 @6:00 AM