Nicola’s willpower helps her beat flab

IT was the horror and embarrassment of having to buy maternity wear for her 18th birthday party that made Nicola Bleakley realise that she had to change.

That was four years ago when Nicola, 22, a Bank of Ireland official from Newtownards, Co Down, weighed 17-and-a-half stone.

Nicola, the first All-Ireland Unislimmer of the Year 2004, lost seven stone in just one year, and three year later weighs slightly less than her original target weight of 10-and-a-half stone.