We are very proud of Sonya who  was over 15 stone and too scared to leave her house when her local practice nurse told her that she morbidly obese and should be a size 8 (as she is only just over 5 feet tall)

It was only when her Brother described her as ‘frumpy’ that she took up walking with him in a bid to get her life back on track. They soon progressed to Nordic Walking via a NWUK community project run by Lewisham NHS healthcare Trust. This fantastic project has grown steadily over the years and now has a number of instructors and 12 leaders.

Sonya soon became hooked on the Nordic walking and realised that it was better than simply walking because it helped to take the weight off her feet but also burned more calories with every step. The weight soon began to fall off and to date she has lost over 5 stone. Her confidence grew as her waist line shrank and she was delighted when she was asked to become a walk leader.

“Helping others was the key for me” she says ” I knew just how  desperate people can feel and that the hardest thing is to take those first steps so I wanted to share my positive story and support people to get active and healthy”

Now the slimline Sonya has a totally different attitude to exercise and rather than being house bound, she is rarely at home as she has now discovered that she loves the gym too!

In fact she has progressed from leading the Lewisham groups to be a full NWUK Nordic and Fitness walking Instructor having studied hard to complete the on line modules, attend practical training and pass her assessment. She teaches newcomers to the group and inspires them with her own positive story and does 5 or more walks a week! She brims with confidence these days and when her story featured in the Daily Mail recently, it also encouraged lot’s of other people to pick up some poles and Nordic walk their way to a new life!

If you have been inspired by Sonya’s story and want to want your local Instructor visit our website and pop your postcode into the search.

If you feel you could also make an ideal Instructor – speak to our training support team to see how we can help you to qualify and get started – call 0333 1234 540 or e mail training@nordicwalking.co.uk