Size 22 woman who lived off frozen meals shed SIX STONE to realise her dream of becoming a firefighter
- Abi Hollyoake, 32, of Camborne, Cornwall, wore a size 22 and weighed 16 stone
- Mother-of-two knew she’d have to slim down if she wanted to be a firefighter
- After two years of hard work, she dropped seven dress sizes and weighs 10 stone
A woman has revealed she shed an impressive six stone to achieve her dream of following in her father’s footsteps and becoming a firefighter.
Abi Hollyoake, 32, from Camborne, Cornwall, wore a size 22 and weighed more than 16 stone at her heaviest – as she constantly opted for frozen meals because she disliked cooking.
The mother-of-two knew she would have to slim down if she wanted to get her dream job after struggling to pass the fitness tests at her local fire station.
After two years of hard work, she managed to drop seven dress sizes and was finally fit enough to succeed – and is now a firefighter for Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service.
‘The job is everything and more than I thought it was – when we get a shout I love it,’ said the now size 8-10, who weighs 10 stone.
‘It hasn’t quite hit me – it’s very surreal. When you are on a job you get a massive adrenaline rush.’
Abi Hollyoake, 32, from Camborne, Cornwall, knew she would have to slim down if she wanted to get her dream job. After two years of hard work, she dropped seven dress sizes to an 8/10 and now weighs just 10 stone. Pictured, after her weightloss transformation
The mother-of-two was a size 22 and weighed more than 16 stone at her heaviest (pictured) – as she constantly opted for frozen meals because she disliked cooking
After losing six stone, Abi was finally fit enough to pass the fitness tests and is now a firefighter for Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service. Pictured: Abi in her uniform
Adamant that she always wanted to follow in her father’s career path, Abi told how being a firefighter had ‘always been in the family.’
‘It was always something I wanted to do but, having two children, family life got in the way,’ she explained.
‘When we moved to Cornwall, I wondered if it was a possibility and made inquiries about it at my local station.
However, for Abi, the fitness element of the job always seemed to let her down.
‘It was a bit of a challenge overcoming the bleep tests,’ she said. ‘For two years I kept going back and attempting it – it took a while because you have to wait three months to take the test again once you fail it.’
Abi’s weight loss mission involved improving her diet, which she did with the help of Slimming World, and also joining a gym.
Abi with her son, daughter and her husband. Abi said: ‘My family have all been massive supporters of my job’
‘Initially I started doing the Couch to 5k app but I used to do it at night or early in the morning, before there was anyone around,’ she explained. ‘I didn’t like being watched running.’
‘By week three or four I noticed results. I was losing weight and feeling better about myself and achieving the levels. I then started doing home workouts.’
She added: ‘I also went to the gym. It’s a nice gym because I didn’t like the idea of big mirrors and everybody looking amazing. It is massively a self-confidence thing.
‘Then I went to Slimming World and started tweaking my diet. With the exercise I’d hit a bit of a wall and I wasn’t losing much more weight.
Abi’s (pictured before she slimmed down) weight loss mission involved improving her diet, with the help of Slimming World, and also joining a gym
Abi told how her fitness levels had soared by the time she started applying for the fire service. Pictured, now in her new job
‘I made some swaps like using the spray rather than cooking oil and sweetener instead of sugar. It helped massively and now I cook a lot more.’
Abi said her fitness levels had soared by the time she started applying for the fire service.
‘You do have to have some sort of fitness to join,’ she said. ‘By the time I was applying I was going to the gym, but I needed to work on that a bit more.
‘Even now I still improve myself everyday because it’s constantly a physical thing. It’s not impossible. I am proof that it can be done.’
‘It was good to have that goal to work towards. You really do have to want it and keep preserving.’
Abi’s daughter takes a keen interest in her new career. Pictured, the mother showed her how to use the facilities attached to her fire engine
Speaking of being in her dream job, she explained: ‘Before doing this I used to be a support worker so I’ve always helped people but this is on a more extreme scale.’
‘You have to get into the right mindset because you don’t know what possibilities could be in front of you.’
‘Until you get to the station and look at the incident sheet you don’t know what you are going to.’
Abi has praised her family for being ‘massive supporters’ of her job and said that it has even brought her and her dad ‘a bit closer together.’
‘He’s retired now, but we share stories,’ she said. ‘The kids get excited. When I come home from work my daughter will say, “Here she is, it’s firefighter Hollyoake”.
‘She also said to me: “Mummy when I’m older I’m not sure if I want to be a nail-painter or a fire-fighting lady”. My husband and my son are proud as well. They know how hard I’ve worked.’
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