Last year mum of twins Gail Barker was watching the London Marathon on TV while eating a cooked breakfast in her PJs ... and now she’s run her first 26.2-mile course.

The Slimming World member completed the Halstead and Essex marathon in May and was “thrilled” with her time of 5hrs2mins. Twelve months ago she had never run more than two miles without stopping.

Gail first joined her local Slimming World group in October 2000 and achieved her target weight by Christmas that year.

She has maintained that success ever since and decided after watching the 2013 London Marathon that she wanted to get fitter.

Inspired by a friend in her Slimming World group who wanted company while training for the event, Gail joined in.

“After the first session of not being able to run without stopping, I felt like giving up but it was Faye and the members in my group’s encouraging support to follow the body magic activity pathway I decided I could do this,” she said.

“Heidi, my consultant, was so supportive and kept encouraging me along with Faye who kept helping me believe I could do this. It was because of this support that I decided not just to train to run a marathon but actually run one, so I signed up to the Halstead & Essex Marathon.”

Gail loved the training and the confidence completing the marathon has given her and is excited to be in training for opening a brand new Slimming World group.

She has taken on the role of consultant for the Finchingfield group, which was due to meet on Wednesday at Finchingfield Village Hall, Bardfield Road.

To go along to the weekly meetings, call Gail on 07827 962533 or just turn up.