A TOP slimmer is using her knowledge and experience to help others through their own weight loss journey.

June Ward first joined Slimming World as a target member in 2016 and will now become a consultant when she launches her very own group in Ulverston on May 7 next week.

She originally lost two stone 12 months after joining following the weight loss organisations food optimisation plan.

However, she ended up putting the weight back on following the death of her mother to terminal cancer, her only child emigrating to Canada and from the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

She said her weight and issues with her legs and feet started to really worry her after she developed plantar fasciitis, pain in her knees and hip joints.

June said: “Having done a relatively long walk on holiday in 2022, my knees and feet were in agony. The walk had involved several steep gradients that had left me physically drained. Things needed to change and fast.

“By this point, I had put on three stone. I googled to find that this was approximately 20 kg, the luggage allowance on most airlines. I asked myself would I carry a 20 kg suitcase whilst out in a walk?”

June was also constantly worrying about giving her two dogs the exercise they needed, so after trying for six months to lose weight on her own, she decided to take action into her own hands and re-join Slimming World.

“I knew from attending previously that there would be nothing to worry about,” she said.

“You are always welcomed and supported. Anyone who battles with their weight understands how difficult it can be to stay in control.

“Being in a group is the best way to understand and find ways of dealing with your triggers.”

June is now back on track and just 2 lb away from her target weight once again. The pain in her feet and knees has subsided and she now sleeps soundly.

“I feel so healthy, have much more energy, and my confidence and anxiety has improved,” she said.

“The next part of my Slimming World journey, now I have the confidence, is to use the knowledge I have gained over the past 12 months to become a consultant and help others who face their own daily battles with food.”

June is taking over the Ulverston Tuesday evening groups at 5:00 pm and 6:30 pm at the St Mary’s RC Community Centre on Victoria Road.