‘I travelled to Thailand to celebrate my 40th birthday - and never returned home’

Ms Padam, who grew up in Armley, Leeds, had always lived with her parents above their family shop.

She said: “There’s quite a lot of pressure when you’re a single Indian girl in her 30s. Every weekend I was attending a wedding.”

Ms Padam had worked for fifteen years as a social worker before taking on a role leading classes in Armley Prison.

She said: “I had a good life but it was hard still living at home. I was always doing family things or helping out at the shop when I wasn’t working.

“I decided to ditch my job working at the prison to go travelling for six months in Australia.”

Ms Padam decided to travel the Gold Coast before settling in Sydney. She then travelled back through south east Asia where she visited Phuket for the first time.

She said: “I came home briefly but I soon returned to live in Oz.”

During this time, Ms Padam decided to retrain as a personal trainer because she was unhappy with her physique.

She said: “I am just a normal Leeds girl who likes a drink, so seeing all these athletic people in Oz made me want to get fit.”

Ms Padam aspired to set up her online coaching business once she gained her qualification, and worked as a support worker in Sydney to fund her fitness training and qualifications.

She said: “I wanted more flexibility, to work from anywhere.

“Being in Australia I was surrounded by people working out. Even when they weren’t being active, everyone still wore Athleisure wear.

“I started posting on social media, and found a lot of other Desi women following me from around the world.

“I knew what they (my clients) needed to keep fit and adjust in their nutrition.”

Ms Padam had to return home due to visa issues.

She said: “I had missed my family so it was nice being back but it was hard losing all that freedom again.”

She continued coaching clients in Leeds and online.

Ms Padam said: “I had itchy feet. With my 40th birthday coming up, I decided to treat myself to a holiday and train in martial arts in Thailand.”

She found a budget hotel for a few weeks.

Ms Padam said: “I trained everyday, ate out but all clean food, and I just slept at the hotel which had WiFi so I could still keep in touch with my online clients.”

She added that her bed and board, including,expenses was cheaper than renting anywhere back home.

Ms Padam said: “I had my family at home but I could do my work anywhere, I had no commitments. So I decided to extend my holiday to three months.”

Three months became six months, and then a year.

Ms Padam added: “Three years later I’m still living in Thailand.

“I still have a room at that same hotel. I can train everyday, and look after my online coaching clients.

“Who knows if and when I’ll ever return to live back in the UK. Now Leeds is my holiday and Thailand is my home.”