Horse-lover inspired to shed the pounds after heartbreak of losing animal

Judith Rak ballooned in weight when her horse died last year.

Now she is aiming to shed the pounds and tackle England and Wales’ highest mountain – while raising money for a horse charity.

Judith, aged 39, said: “I lost my beloved riding horse Lexie to colic last year. I absolutely broke my heart and subsequently I put on lots of weight.

“After a 20-year break from riding, Lexie made me feel alive again and gave me such a wealth of happiness in the time that I had him.”

However, after losing Lexie, Judith’s weight rose to a whopping 25 stones in just six months.

She said: “I’ve yo-yoed for years. However, when I lost him, I binged, I didn’t really care about my body anymore and I didn’t love myself anymore.

“When I had the horse, I had a reason to get up. Even though I had other horses, it wasn’t the same. they weren’t him.

“I had a very good job at the time, but through the loss I gave up my job and wasn’t mentally in the position to cope with all the pressure of it.

“Losing him completely made me lose all interest in everything.”

Judith, of Farndon, realised she had to make a change, but was not sure how, until one day when she was working as a temp.

She said; “I did temping for a while and I worked at a company for a few months when one day my boss and one of my colleagues were talking about going up Snowdon.

“We were all joking ‘why would anyone do it that for fun’, but the conversation got me thinking and spurred me to make a change.

“I have struggled with weight for years, but I realised I’d been doing it for something else each time I’ve been successful, so I thought okay, I want to raise money for a cause I’m passionate about and close to my heart.”

Now Judith is hoping to raise money for Bransby Horses in Lincolnshire, a dedicated enquine welfare charity which is dedicated to improving the lives of horses, ponies, donkeys and mules and has so far helped thousands be rehomed.

Since embarking on her mission, Judith has immersed herself in a healthier lifestyle and even joined a gym.

She said: “I have gone from binging to a complete chang. My only concern is when the newness has worn off, how am I going to keep the motivation going?

“Even though mentally im ready, my body can’t physically handle doing too much, so I have to be careful.

“The aim though, is to lose five stones by the start of July.

“I have set myself a goal that if i lose enough weight i will buy another horse.

“I’ve given away the other horses I had, but I realise that was a mistake in one sense, because I miss them incredibly.

“However, I do get to see them and I did the right thing for them at that time.”

By doing this I want to raise 200 and it stands at 60 at the moment.”

Judith hopes to raise £200 for the charity with her walk – visit https://www.justgiving.com/Judith-Rak