My Story

My Story 

As you can read below, I was all set and signed up to run The London Marathon in 2025 and then we found out I was pregnant, putting the Marathon on pause. I managed to continue running throughout the majority of pregnancy and was still attending my Slimming World group as much as I could during my pregnancy. 

However, then came the hardest 6 months of my life. Sadly, on the same day as my newborn son Arlo was born, my dad passed away. Then, 2 weeks later, Arlo nearly died from coartation of the aorta (a major heart problem that required surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital). 

My comfort eating habits returned as my coping mechanism and I couldn't face seeing people, let alone returning to group. However, in November, I received an email to ask if I would still like my place for the marathon and I decided that it would be a good idea and something for me to focus on, so I rejoined my group before Christmas (I hadn't put all the weight back on and have still lost a decent chunk!). I am back running again; it is not always easy but luckily Arlo doesn't mind a buggy run! 

I might not be as fast as I had originally planned to be but I am fighting and determined to complete the Marathon and raise as much money as possible for Cancer Research along the way. 

My Story from 2024

I rejoined Slimming World in July 2023 after putting back on all the weight I had lost previously, and a bit more. Life had got busy and I felt it was much easier to get takeaways or eat convenience food than to cook from scratch. 

However, I knew I needed to sort myself out, walking upstairs was hard work and would leave me out of breath and I could not stand for more than a few minutes without being in agony with my back. I rejoined Slimming World as I knew it worked, if I stayed to group and optimised 100%. 

I have now lost 9 stone in total and I am not far off reaching my target weight. A few weeks after I rejoined, Matt (my husband to be!) and I decided to start couch to 5k. I hated running initially and those first few weeks nearly broke me! However, we persevered and we started running longer distances and getting quicker. I have now completed several half marathons and usually run at least 4 times a week. I actually enjoy running, something that I never thought I would say! It not only helps my fitness but is my release and my head clearing method! 

I am delighted to be representing Slimming World at the London Marathon 2025. Slimming World has changed my life and without their support I would definitely not be where I am now. I am looking forward to completing this amazing challenge for myself and fulfilling something that I have always wanted to do. As an added bonus, I get to raise money for Cancer Research, which is a charity very close to my heart. Both Matt and my family have been effected by cancer and we have seen first hand what a devastating disease it is. 

Any donations would be very much appreciated as I embark on this amazing challenge. 

About us 

This incredibly inspiring and dedicated team of Slimming World members, Consultants and staff will celebrate their weight loss achievements by running the 2026 TCS London Marathon on Sunday 26th April. They will be raising money for three incredible charities - Cancer Research UK, the Irish Cancer Society and Alzheimer's Research UK - through Slimming World's own charity SMILES.