How I became fabulous at 50

But mum-of-three Helena Dines was determined fun would begin at 50. She decided the ultimate present to herself would be entering a fitness and beauty pageant.

Now she says she feels more fabulous than ever and hopes to inspire women of all ages to love their bodies.

“The big 50 made me feel scared, putting me in the ‘old’ category – something I don’t feel at all.

“I knew I needed a challenge and got the feeling a fitness competition would be a nice present from myself to myself. It was now or never.

“I wanted to send a message to other women to show age is no limitation.”

In three months Helena, who works as a fitness instructor and suffers from scoliosis, worked out harder than ever before to get the ultimate killer abs and muscular frame before competing in Miss Galaxy UK – and now she is hooked.

But the mum to Daniel, 28, Filip, 25, and Jakub, 13, says it isn’t the first time she has overcome a challenge on a milestone birthday.

Originally from Slovakia, she hit rock bottom aged 40 when her first marriage had broken down and she lost her business.

She explains: “I was in my 40s and I felt I hit rock bottom with no money, three kids and alone. I couldn’t find a job at all, everywhere needed English.”

But in order to provide for her family, she faced her fears and moved to England alone to learn the language with just £200.

Helena got a job as a livein care assistant in West Wellow and went to college to study.

She followed her passion and built a new life for herself as a fitness instructor and later found love again when she met her second husband Paul, who she married two years ago.

Helena, who for the last five years has taught zumba, pilates and body strengthening classes in Shirley, Redbridge, Totton and Nursling, says: “When I look back when I first came to England, I was brave, but I had to be in order to give my children a better future. I was willing to do anything for them.

“I’m very proud of how far I have come, but my friends including the wonderful Ella Doney, family and my husband Paul did play a big role in all this too.

“I’m proud of my sons and their girlfriends too.

"Though life is not always so straight-lined we should do the best we can to live every day the best we can.”

And that’s exactly how Helena lives life.

She trains three times a week as well as teaching classes regularly.

Helena says achieving her goal of competing in Miss Galaxy UK has given her the confidence to compete again.

She went to bootcamps to learn body posture, poses and how to catwalk.

Helena then had to take part in three different stages of the competition – fitness where she had to perform exercises including sit ups, jumps, dips, thrusts and bench press half the weight of her body as well as bikini and evening wear rounds.

“I have the best form of my life ever and I feel great.”

Now Helena is studying to become a nutrition advisor and wants to help others live healthier lives. She says: “A lot of women don’t believe in themselves but it is never too late to start.

Sometimes circumstances work against us but with the right attitude and goal in mind, nothing is impossible.”