A marathon effort for couple who lost 10st

Peter Mowbray, 51, and wife Louise, 45, lost almost 10 stone between them when their daughter, Charlotte, challenged them to get into shape.

Now the three fitness fans will take part in the marathon as a family next month to raise money for charity.

Peter, a medic at Blackpool Victoria Hospital who first appeared in The Gazette two years ago after helping a security guard who was attacked outside Sainsbury’s in Talbot Road, Blackpool, said: “My daughter gave us a challenge to get healthy in a year. We starting running, trying to get into shape. Now we will be running the London Marathon as a family.

“I hope I might inspire other middle aged men. I’ve lost so much weight and I want people to see that nothing is impossible.

“We used to go out all the time to restaurants and eat all the wrong foods. We used to enjoy a bottle of wine with our meals and all the things that are bad for your health.

“Age is no barrier. You’re never too old to take up exercise. I found out at 51 how important exercise is not only for the body but for the mind as well.”

Peter and Louise will both raise money for the blind and deaf charity Sense in the marathon on Sunday, April 22, and Charlotte, 21, will raise for Children With Cancer UK.

Peter, who lives with his family on Grange Road, Layton, said: “It’s so exciting; we have trained so hard for this. It has been hard and we have done lots of miles and lots of preparation.

“Our friends and family have been so supportive and their continued words of encouragement did help us get to this point.

“We’re going to start together and we’re going to finish together over the finish line holding hands.”