Mansfield mum who shed half her body weight shortlisted for top award

Kelly Redfern, from Mansfield, lost half her body weight after vowing to cut out takeaways and taking up swimming 60 lengths a day - the equivalent of almost a mile.

The determined woman decided to push herself even further by signing up to a gruelling boxing programme and managed to trim down to just 10 stones.

She has now been nominated for an 'Outstanding Achievement' award after competing in the Ultra White Collar Boxing (UWCB) challenge.

The mother-of-three says she was “shocked” to hear she had been shortlisted for the prize and hoped her story would inspire others to lose weight.

The 35-year-old said: "I was surprised to be honest. I had just come in from the gym and I had a message letting me know I had been nominated.

"I was shocked - I didn’t expect it. I didn’t do any of it for an award, you do it for yourself, so it's been nice to be nominated.

"It's pushed me harder, it's kept me going. I thought my life was hard but we have all got our own journeys."

UWCB participants raise cash for Cancer Research UK by taking part in eight weeks of free professional training before a bout with an opponent in front of hundreds of spectators.

They are asked to sell tickets for the show and raise at least £50 for the charity.

Ultra has created five award categories this year to showcase some of their most inspiring individuals, including the ‘Outstanding Achievement’ award Mrs Redfern is up for.

The mum-of-two began suffering with depression at 14 but hit rock bottom following the premature birth of her twin daughters Germaine and Courtney in 2004.

She used food as a 'crutch' to help her when she was struggling mentally and would gorge on kebabs or pizzas.

But she underwent a complete transformation, sticking to a strict regime which included healthy breakfasts and balanced meals.

She then won her fight at the John Fretwell Sports Complex, and has since continued to lose weight.