When it comes to the biggest running event of the year, Slimming World’s marathon team have run miles for SMILES, and this year was no exception! For the ninth consecutive year, Slimming World members, employees and Consultants joined together to complete the London marathon.
Slimming World employees Glen Lynam and Brodie Palmer were joined by members Jacquie Goodwin, Heidi Palmer and Robert Packham to run the 26 miles and raise money for SMILES, supporting the NSPCC.
The team tells us about their marathon transformations!
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Glen Lynam –
Marathon finishing time: 5hrs 19mins
Glen Lynam, accounts controller, lost 5st with Slimming World and has also kept it off from 12 years. Glen says: “I used to hate sport because of my size and would shy away from it, but since I’ve lost weight I’ve gained in confidence and running is now one of my passions. I love it! Completing my first marathon this year is the icing on the cake for me, I would never have believed I could achieve something like this.” |
Ged Lynam –
Marathon finishing time: 3hrs 21mins
Glen’s husband Ged lost 2 stone 7lbs with Slimming World and has run in the London Marathon raising money for Slimming World’s chosen charity for nine consecutive years. |
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Brodie Palmer –
Marathon finishing time: 5hrs 44mins
Heidi Palmer –
Marathon finishing time: 5hrs 13mins
Sisters Brodie and Heidi Palmer decided to take on the challenge together. Brodie started putting on weight when the family moved to Derby from Essex and she really missed her friends. She joined her local group with sister Heidi and they have lost 6st 10lbs between them. When Heidi started running Brodie decided to join her and earlier this year they completed the 5km Race for Life in honour of their nan, who passed away from cancer. |
Robert Peckham –
Marathon finishing time: 6hrs 00mins
Overcoming depression and losing two stones in weight inspired energetic Slimming World member Robert Peckham from St Ives, to take to the streets to complete the gruelling 26 mile London Marathon, and raise £s for the NSPCC.
“Three years ago my life was very different”, says Robert. “I had severe depression and also suffered with type 2 diabetes, but I’ve managed to completely turn my life around.”
Robert joined his local Slimming World group in June 2007 and with the support of his Consultant and other group members, lost two stone in three months. He says: “I’ve got married and started a new career and after losing the weight and changing my whole lifestyle I feel amazing. My medication for the diabetes has been reduced dramatically and they have even advised me that they may be able to stop it altogether soon.”
Robert says: “I’ve taken part in a number of half marathons and it was always my ambition to do the real thing and achieve the full 26 miles course. I’m thrilled to have done it and to have raised money for the NSPCC, which is a charity I strongly support.”
Robert, who attends Julie Farrer’s group at the Christian Centre in St Ives on Thursday evenings, adds: “Running a marathon was the ultimate challenge and I’ve done it. I hope I will inspire others around me that dreams can definitely become reality if you push yourself.” |
Jacqui Goodwin – Marathon finishing time: 4hrs 31mins
Jacqui Goodwin from Cleveland lost a fantastic
7 stones at her local Slimming World group in 1999 and went on to become a Slimming World Consultant and run her own successful group.
Jacqui tells us “As my weight started to go down, I joined a gym. I’d never run in my entire life, not even at school, as I was so self-conscious. But here I was setting myself further and further distances to complete - soon I was running 4 miles on the treadmill.”
Jacqui started running five times a week, slowly building up her fitness and completed her first run, the Race for Life, before going on to run the Tees Pride and two weeks later the Great North Run. It didn’t stop there. Now Jacqui has completed her greatest challenge, running the London Marathon.
She continues: “I realise now that I am a runner and I love it. Running a marathon was the ultimate challenge and I’ve done it. I hope I will inspire others around me that dreams can definitely become reality if you push yourself.”
We hope you’ll join us in congratulating everyone in the team on their fabulous achievements – their tremendous weight loss, amazing marathon feat and raising so much money for such a worthwhile cause.
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