SLIMMERS who have lost 40 stone between them have raised in excess of £300 for Cancer Research UK after they laced up their trainers and swapped their usual meeting place of Fairplace Church for the Granite Way, to hold their own Slimming World does Race for Life event on July 10.

Before joining Slimming World, many of the slimmers did very little, but after getting support to become more active, the Okehampton group and Slimming World consultant Zoe Farley all managed to complete the five miles distance with big smiles on their faces.

The group also invited the people of Okehampton, their friends and family members to join in. The event saw around 20 people take part, along with lots of spectators on the passing train from Okehampton Station to Meldon Viaduct who cheered the entrants on as they crossed the finish line. The event aimed to raise awareness of how keeping a healthy weight can improve health, including reducing the risk of developing ten types of cancer and raise vital funds for Cancer Research UK. Cancer Research UK’s ambition is to accelerate progress so that by 2034, three in four people will survive their cancer for at least 10 more years.

The Okehampton group’s race was part of a wider national event running across all Slimming World groups between July 9 and 24. The race was not competitive and those taking part could choose the distance they’d like to cover.

Zoe, who runs the Okehampton Slimming World group every week at Fairplace Church, said her members thoroughly enjoyed taking part in Slimming World does Race for Life. She said: ‘It was a fantastic event – the atmosphere was electric! Everyone was so supportive of each other, just as they are whenever my group gets together and we saw young, old, male and female participants enter, all with a broad range of abilities and fitness levels. Entrants could run, walk, or skip across the finish line – whatever they wanted – as long as they enjoyed it we didn’t mind at all!

She continued: ‘I’m so pleased with how much we raised for Cancer Research UK and I think the event showed people just how motivating being part of a Slimming World group like ours can be. Many of my members wouldn’t have dreamed of even wearing a pair of trainers before they lost weight and now look at them! It’s all thanks to the amazing support they give each other in group that has helped them to lose weight by eating more healthily and build their confidence and find more energy to move more each day. Now they’re all fantastic role models to their friends and families.’