Chester mum loses 7 stone at Northgate and becomes fitness champion

A woman who weighed 17 stone and was diagnosed as clinically obese last year has just won Northgate Arena’s latest fitness challenge. 

Sharron Price, 35, from Chester has lost 7 stone in the last 12 months through exercise alone and the support of staff at Chester’s leading leisure centre.

Last week the mum of two won Northgate Arena’s latest fitness challenge and was rewarded with a brand new mountain bike.

Sharron decided to try to lose weight after her 7-year-old daughter Alexandra started asking why I was bigger than other mums at her school.

“My daughter started drawing pictures of me. The rest of the family were all slim and I was the round one in the middle,” said Sharron. “It was quite upsetting.”

Sharron had always been a size 14 but became seriously overweight after giving birth to her son Daniel and then spending several months inactive whilst recovering from a gall bladder operation.

“I just started eating excessively and continuously snacking,” she said. “It really affected me mentally. I found I didn’t want to join in with the children’s play and my confidence just disappeared. It was awful.”

Sharron resolved to tackle her weight problem and joined the gym at Northgate Arena. A fitness consultant drew up a training programme for her and before long she was going to the gym five times a week.

“I’d hit rock bottom with my weight,” she said. “It was quite hard going to the gym at first and I felt a bit self conscious but the staff gave me so much encouragement every time I went in -they were always telling me I was doing really well. It’s those words really that kept me going– and the fact that they noticed I was losing weight.”

Sharron continued to control her calorie intake while she trained at the gym and lost the weight largely through exercise.

Now she weighs just 10 stone and is a size 10/12.

“Now I love the gym - it’s my release. I go four times a week for two hours if I can. I never used to go on the treadmill because I was embarrassed. But now I go on it all the time,” she said.

“I still watch my calorie intake during the week but like most people at the weekend I indulge in a few treats.”
Sharron said the weight loss has transformed her into a happier, more positive person.

“The confidence boost is absolutely fabulous. I can go into a shop now and pick up a size 10/12 and not even try it on. It’s changed my whole life and my whole outlook on life,” she said.

She is now the proud owner of a new mountain bike after meeting the most fitness targets in Northgate Arena’s latest fitness challenge.

“I’ve entered five of these in the past so it’s a real achievement to win,” she said. “They’re great because they give you something to aim for.”

Northgate Arena is run by Chester and District Sports and Recreational Trust (CADSART) which is a non-for-profit charitable organisation.

CADSART also runs Christleton Sports, Malpas Sports Centre and Woodford Lodge Sports Centre in Winsford.