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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #1c1c1c;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thanks for visiting the JustGiving page of the official Slimming World Virgin London Marathon 2011 team!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #1c1c1c;"><span style="font-size: small;">This year six brave Slimming World members will be running the famous 26.2 mile course around the capital on April 17th, 2011, to raise money for Slimming World's very own charity SMILES (Slimmers Making It a Little Easier for Someone). Every year SMILES chooses a charity partner and this year all the money raised for SMILES in Slimming World's 7,300 groups up and down the country will go to the NSPCC. It's a hugely worthy cause so please donate generously!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #1c1c1c;"><span style="font-size: small;">The team are: </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #1c1c1c;"><span style="font-size: small;">*Stuart Howells who lost 12st with Diane Williams in the Llanelli group. He was named Slimming World's Man of the Year 2010 too! Read his amazing journey here </span><a href="http://www.slimmingworld.com/success-stories/stuart-howells.aspx"><span style="font-size: small;">http://www.slimmingworld.com/success-stories/stuart-howells.aspx</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #1c1c1c;"><span style="font-size: small;">*Tanja Hunger dropped a fabulous 9st 8.5lbs. After seeing a photo of herself on her 30<sup>th</sup> birthday she vowed to lose weight. She’s a member of Eileen Deane’s Bolton group. Read her story here </span><a href="http://www.slimmingworld.com/success-stories/tanja-hunger.aspx"><span style="font-size: small;">http://www.slimmingworld.com/success-stories/tanja-hunger.aspx</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #1c1c1c;"><span style="font-size: small;">*Ian Wasson, from Belfast, is our first ever marathon team member from Northern Ireland. He’s lost 6st in Ruth Shaw’s Wellington Park group. Find out what’s spurring him on here <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.slimmingworld.com/success-stories/ian-wasson.aspx"><span style="font-size: small;">http://www.slimmingworld.com/success-stories/ian-wasson.aspx</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #1c1c1c;"><span style="font-size: small;">*Lindsey Bellis is a familiar face because she ran the Virgin London Marathon for SMILES back in 2009, in a brilliant 5 hours and 2 minutes. This year she won a place in the marathon’s ballot and opted to raise money for SMILES again, which is great news! She has lost 2st 6lbs and attends Ruth Catherall’s Hawarden group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #1c1c1c;"><span style="font-size: small;">*Lindsey will recognise our next runner Jo Gregory because she also helped make up the 2009 Slimming World marathon team. She works in our Field Support team at Slimming World head office as well as running a Slimming World group in Oakwood since losing 4st. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #1c1c1c;"><span style="font-size: small;">*Unlike Lindsey and Jo, this is our final team member's first marathon. Slimming World Consultant Rachel Biddulph, from Sutton in Surrey, lost 7st 13lbs with Slimming World and was so inspired she decided to open her own group helping other people to slim. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #1c1c1c;"><span style="font-size: small;">That's an amazing combined weight loss of just over 42st between them. They've changed their lives hugely by losing weight and becoming fit and active - active enough to run a marathon - and now they want to celebrate this and help to change other people's lives by raising money for SMILES. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #1c1c1c;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is the 12th year that Slimming World has taken part in the London Marathon. Last year's team raised a whopping £7,240 and over the past 11 years our runners' efforts have raised a staggering £51,148. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #1c1c1c;"><span style="font-size: small;">Can you help us to beat last year's total? Even if you don't know anyone in the team personally, please dig deep and support them. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #1c1c1c;"><span style="font-size: small;">Remember, donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – we’ll raise more, while saving time and cutting costs for the charity.</span></span></p>