AN INSPIRATIONAL woman, who lost the ability to walk and battled two brain tumours, is now ready to take on a 10km race for charity.

Lynn Neesam, 66, who lives in Shoebury, started to lose weight due to treatment for Crohn’s Disease (an inflammatory bowel disease) and two tumours within her brain.

She has joined WW, previously Weight Watchers, two years ago to help shed the pounds. She lost her ability to walk after losing movement on the right side of her body, following intensive treatment for one of the brain tumours.

She said it was thanks to WW that she was able to learn to walk again.

The inspirational woman said she’s now looking forward to running in her first 10k race this Sunday in Southchurch Park East, Southend, for Havens Hospices.

Ms Neesam said: “I have come to love running. I had always walked particularly after my brain tumour as it was such a joy to be able to do that, but I have never run in my life.

“I was asthmatic as a child, so it was a definite no go zone, but after realising I had to increase my exercise to keep my cholesterol down, I realised that I could actually run a few steps for the bus so I decided to download the couch to 5km app and give it a go.

“I didn’t really think I could do it; even running for 30 seconds, I felt like I would die, but little by little, week by week it got easier. “

Ms Neesam told how inspirational WW coach, Emma Anderson, started just after her and the pair “checked in” with each other on a weekly basis and encouraged each other.

She added: “I finally ‘graduated’ on Christmas Eve 2018. The first week of the new year I did my first Parkrun with my neighbour. I have now done over 30 park runs.

“I am running in my first 10k race with Emma raising money for our hospice, Havens Hospice.

“I can’t really believe what I have achieved. I would never have attempted to run without losing all the weight.

“I am so grateful to be fit and healthy in my retirement and I could not have done this without the support of my coaches, family and friends.”

Lynn is so grateful to her WW coach, Emma Anderson, who not only supported Lynn with her weight loss and wellbeing but also encouraged her to be more active and Lynn started running using Couch to 5k initially. Lynn then joined a running group with Emma. Emma who runs a WW Workshop on Wednesdays in Shoeburyness said of Lynn; ‘‘Lynn has had an amazing journey from life altering health conditions to an amazing weight loss. Not only has Lynn week in and week out focused on better eating with the WW programme, but she has made amazing changes to her fitness and mindset as well. Lynn took up running less than a year ago, well into her sixties to help her maintain her goal weight and has been an inspiration not only to me as a coach but to other members of our workshop; many of whom have become more active themselves. I am so proud to be able to run the Southend 10k with Lynn on the 6th of October and proud she is doing it to support Havens Hospice, a local hospice.’

To find out more about Emma’s Workshops visit www.ww.com/uk to find out about hers and other workshops in Essex.