Siobhan meets sporting giant
Children hearhistory
A Blantyre super slimmer got along swimmingly with Olympian Mark Foster.
She met him at the semifinals of a competition to find the UK and Ireland’s top female slimmers.
Siobhan Mackle (48) was one of just 54 women to win a place at the semi-finals of Slimming World’s woman of the year competition after losing an impressive 7st 3lb.
She was congratulated by Mark, who is Britain’s mostdecorated male swimmer and six-time world champion.
Siobhan, who slimmed from 16st 13lb to 9st 10lbs, made it to the semi-finals after members at her Halfway group voted for her to be their representative.
She went on to win her regional heat, which put her in the running to win the overall title and a holiday to Mexico.
Siobhan said: “I’d tried and failed to lose weight so many times that I honestly thought that I was destined to be overweight forever.
“Before Slimming World, I always found myself feeling deprived, hungry and miserable when I tried to lose weight.
“Slimming World completely opened my eyes to a totally new way of eating.
“It’s even encouraged me to think about how active I am too so I’ve taken up running. I started slowly at first but now I’m up to seven miles and hope to complete a half-marathon, maybe even a marathon, for my 50th birthday.” Mark, who has appeared on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, was blown away by Siobhan’s transformation.
He said: “It was a real pleasure to meet Siobhan and chat to her about her weight loss.
“As an athlete I know how important health and fitness is for your general wellbeing so I think it’s incredible to hear how these remarkable women have turned their lives around.
“I wouldn’t like to be one of the judges because they’re all winners in my book!”
Siobhan did not make the final of the competition. P6 children at David Livingstone Primary School welcomed Blantyre historian Paul Veverka to the school last week.
Teacher Nicola Smith invited him Paul to tell them about his Blantyre Project.
Paul told the Advertiser: “The talk was well received, children appeared interested and had many good questions.
“I hope they all learned something about Blantyre’s past.”
Author Paul took his Blantyre Project presentation to the Kirk Care Home in High Blantyre on Wednesday last week.
More free presentations planned in early 2017.
More information is available www.blantyreproject.com. are at