A FALL in Bradford city centre brought Andrea Crawforth to her knees - literally.

For years she had battled with her weight, and junk food brought comfort at various times of need throughout her life.

But when an elderly good samaritan came to Andrea’s aid to help her up after she slipped on ice it prompted a lifestyle change she is now busy promoting in the hope others will follow her lead.

“I fell in the centre of Bradford on black ice and the only person to come to lift me up was an elderly man.

There were lots of people, it was rush hour, but this elderly gentleman came to help lift me up and I couldn’t let him because I was so big,” recalls Andrea, who was 22 and a half stone at the time.

“I was scared because he looked so frail and I thought he could have had a heart attack trying to lift me up so I crawled across the floor on my hands and knees. I used the wall to get back on my feet.”

Andrea admits she had issues with her weight but those problems were compounded with the sudden death of her father, George, when she was only 15.

Her father was only 46 when he died and she also had to deal with the devastation of losing her sister, Susan, who died at 36 from a brain haemorrhage.

Recalling when her father died, Andrea says: “I always had a weight problem from being about 15 when my Dad died.

“I comfort ate and locked myself away with junk food, chocolate, crisps.”

Andrea admits she felt too ashamed to look in a mirror, or have photographs taken, but she didn’t just live in denial and says she tried dieting.

“I was trying so many times to lose weight but didn’t really stick to it.”

But, for Andrea, slipping in the centre of her home city was a wake-up call to the reality of her size.

“Inside I was breaking my heart, crying my heart out because I knew people hadn’t come to help me because they could hurt themselves just trying to lift me up.”

Andrea knew she had to take action and decided to join her local Slimming World group, in Fairweather Green, run by consultant Kirsty Rhodes.

Although the fall was the reality check Andrea needed, she was also conscious of her health.

She didn’t want to get any bigger, nor did she want to face the very real prospect of having to have weight loss surgery.

“But it doesn’t have to be that way,” says Andrea, confidently.

In April 2010 she joined her local Slimming World group. With her target in mind, she set about achieving it and, little by little, she did.

“I thought I needed to do something before it gets any worse so I went to my local Slimming World.

“I was really nervous but it is such a fantastic place, the welcome you get and everybody in that room knows how difficult it is for you to go through the door, but you do need help and sometimes it is the last resort for some people.

“It was the best thing I ever did,” says Andrea.

“It took me four years to get to target and the reason it took me so long was I took it steady.”

Andrea’s goal was to lose 11 stone.

“But I never looked and thought I need to lose 11 stone to get to where I want to be because if I had looked that far ahead it is like climbing Everest and it can deter you.

“I lost half a stone at a time, that was my target, and I used to set myself little goals with family events and parties coming up.

“It is those goals that keep you motivated, but it isn’t a diet, it is a change of lifestyle,” Andrea explains.

Overhauling her menu, Andrea made healthy changes to meals which are not only benefitting her, but also her family.

“Nothing is really restricted, it is things in moderation. It isn’t really dieting it is a lifestyle change, changing the way you cook things.”

Andrea’s dress size has now dropped from a size 30 to a size 12 and she now weighs just over 10 stone.

And testimony to her success, she has held Slimming World’s ‘Greatest loser’ title for five years and in 2013 she made it through to the district finals of the organisation’s Woman of the Year.

Recalling reaching her target, she says: “It was absolutely amazing and I actually cried when I got to target because it is such a long journey and to know you have done it by yourself but with a lot of support along the way,” says Andrea, referring to her consultant and fellow members who have spurred her on.

Since losing weight, Andrea has put her new found fitness to good use. She has participated in the annual Race for Life twice.

“Before running and competing in that, the last I actually ran was age the age of 14 at school,” recalls Andrea.

For Andrea, taking part in the Race for Life was inspired through personal experience as her Grandma died from Cancer.

Andrea’s participation in the event raised £700 towards funding vital research into this devastating disease.

“I had wanted to compete in the Race for Life for the last few years, however my weight problem always held me back,” recalls Andrea.

“I first competed in 2014 when I discovered this amazing abundance of energy and that I could actually run. The sense of achievement was amazing.”

Inspired by her own experience, and the difference weight loss has made to her life, Andrea was keen to pass on the benefits to others by becoming a Slimming World consultant. Her classes take place at St James Church, Thornton at 7.30pm on Wednesdays.

“I know what it is like when you have a massive amount of weight to lose,” says Andrea.

She says she also knows what it feels like to walk through those doors for the first time.

“But you are with people who know how it feels, and I want to show people you can do it without surgery and without faddy diets, just by making simple changes and being able to pass that on and share it,” she concludes.

This year’s Race for Life takes place in Lister Park, Bradford on Sunday June 12.

Organisers of the event, which is run in partnership with Tesco, are eager to encourage more women to join their ‘pink army’ to boost funds into research.

Entry to the 5k race closes on Thursday. To enter, or for more information, visit raceforlife.org or call 0300 123 0770.