Raquela Mosquera: The Resilient Mother Behind Joe Wicks and Her Powerful Life Story

Elevate New Editorial Team48 minutes agoLast Updated: July 15, 2026

Raquela Mosquera is a British former youth mentor and community worker, best known as the mother of fitness coach, author and television presenter Joe Wicks. She gained wider attention through the BBC documentary Joe Wicks: Facing My Childhood and her honest discussion about menopause with Dr Louise Newson.

Her life extends far beyond her connection to a famous son. She raised three boys while facing financial pressure, addiction within the family and serious mental health challenges. She later used her experience and empathy to support vulnerable young people in Surrey.

Raquela Mosquera’s Age and Nationality

Raquela was born in November 1965. She is 60 years old in July 2026 and will turn 61 in November 2026. Her full date of birth has not been confirmed by an authoritative source. Companies House records confirm that her nationality is British and that she lives in the United Kingdom. Her surname has Spanish roots, but her precise ethnic and family heritage remains private. She should therefore be described as British without making unsupported claims about her ancestry.

Joe Wicks has said that his mother left school and home at a young age. She became a mother while still in her teens, taking on adult responsibilities before she had been able to create a stable life for herself.

Raquela Mosquera’s Education

A Facebook page bearing her name states that she studied at Nescot College and attended De Burgh Secondary School. Both have strong connections with the Epsom area, where the Wicks family lived. The same page connects her with Surrey Care Trust. These education details fit her known Surrey background, although they come from personal social media rather than formal academic records.

Raquela Mosquera’s Career in Youth Support

Raquela spent years helping young people and families. During her conversation with Dr Louise Newson, she spoke about running a mentoring programme for young people aged 11 and above. Her work involved listening to difficult family experiences, guiding vulnerable teenagers and helping them manage problems at home, school and within the community. It demanded patience, emotional strength and careful attention.

A Surrey County Council document from 2007 named her as a FACE Project Worker in Epsom and Ewell. This role supports her connection with youth mentoring and community care. She has also been associated with Surrey Care Trust, an organisation involved in mentoring, training and support services. Although she is sometimes called a social worker, youth mentor or community worker is a more precise description unless evidence of a formal social work qualification becomes available.

Raquela loved her job, but severe menopause symptoms later affected her memory, confidence and concentration. She eventually left because she felt unable to give vulnerable people the quality of support they deserved.

Raquela Mosquera and Joe Wicks

Raquela is the mother of Joe Wicks, the creator of The Body Coach. Joe became one of Britain’s best-known fitness figures through exercise programmes, bestselling cookbooks and television work. During the COVID-19 lockdown, his PE with Joe sessions helped families remain active at home. His positive public image was shaped partly by the difficult experiences he faced during childhood.

Joe has described his mother as loving, strong and protective. Their relationship was not always easy. As a teenager, he struggled to understand her strict routines and powerful need for cleanliness. He later learnt that much of this behaviour was connected to severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. As he grew older, he began to understand the fear behind actions that had once caused conflict.

Their Stronger Adult Relationship

Joe and his mother developed a closer relationship through open conversation and greater awareness of mental health. Rather than blaming her for the past, he came to recognise that she had been managing serious illness while trying to protect three children. Joe also helped her obtain specialist support when menopause symptoms became severe. Their relationship now reflects affection, forgiveness and shared healing.

Raquela Mosquera’s Husband and Gary Wicks

Gary Wicks is the father of Raquela’s three sons. He worked as a roofer and experienced depression and heroin addiction during the boys’ childhood. Joe has spoken openly about the strain his father’s addiction placed on the family. There were periods when Gary was absent or unable to provide a stable home environment. There is no firm confirmation that Gary is Raquela’s current husband. Their legal marriage status, any separation and their present romantic relationship have not been made clear.

Raquela Mosquera’s Children

Raquela has three sons: Nikki, Joe and George Wicks.

Nikki Wicks

Nikki is the eldest son. He has played an important role in Joe’s career and business, working closely with him as a manager and senior business figure. Joe has described Nikki as dependable and protective. Their difficult childhood created a close bond between the brothers.

Joe Wicks

Joe is the middle son. He was born in Epsom in September 1985. His career grew from small outdoor fitness sessions into books, digital programmes, television work and a major health brand. Raquela has occasionally joined him in family content and discussions connected with health, fitness and childhood experiences.

George Wicks

George is the youngest brother and has kept a much lower public presence. He was still very young during one of the family’s hardest periods, when Raquela entered residential treatment.

Mental Health and Residential Treatment

Raquela has spoken openly about obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, depression, panic attacks and eating difficulties, including bulimia. Her OCD involved a strong need for order, cleanliness and routine. These behaviours affected daily family life and could be difficult for her children to understand.

Joe has explained that he sometimes felt angry or confused by her rules when he was young. In adult life, he recognised that she was managing illness while raising three boys and coping with Gary’s addiction. At one stage, Raquela entered residential treatment for about five months. Leaving her sons was extremely painful, but she believed that professional care was necessary for her recovery.

Her decision later became an important part of the family’s healing. It showed that receiving treatment can be an act of responsibility rather than a rejection of family duties.

Joe Wicks: Facing My Childhood

Raquela took part in the 2022 BBC documentary Joe Wicks: Facing My Childhood. The programme examined how parental mental illness and addiction can affect children. It explored her OCD and eating disorder, Gary’s addiction and the emotional burden carried by the three brothers. The family discussed experiences that had once been difficult to explain.

Raquela did not present herself as a perfect mother. She spoke honestly about illness, fear, treatment and painful decisions. Her contribution helped the family replace silence with understanding. The documentary also showed how exercise became a coping method for Joe. Physical activity gave him structure and emotional release during unstable periods at home.

Raquela Mosquera’s Menopause Experience

In November 2023, Raquela joined Dr Louise Newson for a podcast episode called Confronting My Menopause Fears. It lasted 32 minutes and 46 seconds. She discussed anxiety, brain fog, tiredness, irritability, isolation, low mood and difficulty concentrating. These symptoms harmed her confidence and ability to continue the work she loved.

She also experienced unexplained bleeding after her periods had stopped. This caused great fear, and Joe helped put her in contact with Dr Newson. Medical checks were arranged, and her hormone replacement therapy was reviewed. She had already started HRT, but the original type and dose had not provided enough relief.

How HRT Improved Her Life

After her HRT was adjusted, Raquela said her energy improved, her anxiety eased and her thinking became clearer. She felt more sociable and better able to enjoy daily life. The improvement helped her recognise that symptoms she had blamed on ageing or depression were closely connected with menopause.

She encouraged women to educate themselves, write down symptoms before seeing a GP and speak openly with friends and relatives. She also advised women not to dismiss HRT through fear, but to discuss personal benefits and risks with a qualified doctor.

Business Roles with Joe Wicks

Raquela became a director of Joe Wicks Ltd on 1 May 2024. She left that role on 31 March 2025. On 7 April 2025, she became an LLP member of Joe Wicks and Partners LLP. Her appointment remains active.

Companies House records state that her identity verification was completed on 19 June 2026 by CRO Corporate Services Limited, an authorised corporate service provider supervised by HMRC. These appointments confirm her formal involvement in the Wicks family business structure. Her exact daily responsibilities have not been disclosed.

Private Life and Personal Wealth

Raquela maintains a fairly private life. Her exact birthplace, complete birth date, parents, siblings and current home have not been confirmed. There is no reliable figure for her personal net worth. Her connection with Joe’s successful business does not mean that his full wealth belongs to her.

Raquela Mosquera’s Lasting Impact

Raquela Mosquera’s life is a story of survival, motherhood and personal change. She became a young mother, raised three sons through unstable years and faced serious mental health conditions. She later devoted her career to helping young people deal with their own difficulties. Her openness about OCD, eating disorders, residential treatment and menopause has brought value to experiences that many families keep hidden.

Today, she is known not only as Joe Wicks’s mother, but also as a woman who turned painful experiences into empathy. Her journey highlights courage, family healing and the importance of seeking help when life becomes too difficult to manage alone.

FAQs

1. Who is Raquela Mosquera?

Raquela Mosquera is a British former youth mentor and community worker. She is best known as the mother of fitness coach, author and television presenter Joe Wicks.