Fit & Fab: Allison Haworth West

Towering above her peers, Allison Haworth West was a naturally gifted athlete who spent her childhood collecting medals in every sport imaginable. But a severe back injury cut short her dreams when she was told she would never play sport again.

Two decades later, the 44-year-old from Australia is back skiing, and is taking up tennis lessons and contemplating golf. Her secret? Stand-up paddling (SUP).

"SUP has done so much for me, physically, building up my core and putting a lot more structural integrity in my body," she says.

Her new sports passion almost didn't happen - twice. She immediately dismissed it as a celebrity craze when discovering it in a "trashy gossip magazine" several years ago.

"I thought it looked boring," she says. When she finally decided to try the sport, she never made it to the water, as she injured her back picking up the oversized board.

Thankfully, curiosity got the better of her and, after recovering, she tried again. Since those first reluctant strokes 18 months ago, she hasn't stopped. She paddles several mornings a week in the south of Hong Kong Island.