ON his own admission he may not once have been, but Martin Curtis, a Fenland district and county councillor, can certainly now lay claim to being among the Fit of the Fens. He s lost over two stone by a rigorous combination of exercise and dieting and i

ON his own admission he may not once have been, but Martin Curtis, a Fenland district and county councillor, can certainly now lay claim to being among the 'Fit of the Fens.'

He's lost over two stone by a rigorous combination of exercise and dieting and is set to take part in this weekend's Great North Run.

"As you are running with this fit and healthy thing at the moment you may want to know my motivation for losing weight," he said.

"It is all about getting my blood pressure down and of being sick of seeing a fat bloke looking back at me every time I saw a mirror."

Cllr Curtis has included a tough programme of training in preparation for the run- proving that no matter how unfit or fat you are, redemption is but some exercise away!

"There are a few decent places that I often run, along Briggate, which is the stretch of river running into Whittlesey from Stanground, or around the back of Eastrea in some typical Fenland scenery, with the wind farm in the background," he said.

He will be running this weekend for the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow trust and has been training for most of this year.

" I am running with my wife Angela who has trained with me," he said. " I am also doing the Great Eastern Run on October 15 with my wife and son, which is another half marathon.

"It seemed to make sense at the time - two half marathons for one set of training. I am all for efficiency. "

Cllr Curtis is not stopping there, however, for he hopes to lose another stone and a half in weight in the coming months.

GOT STORY ABOUT FITNESS OR DIET? Then share your experiences with other readers in the hope they, too, may be inspired. Email to: john.elworthy@archant.co.uk or telephone him on 01354 652621. Please keep us posted with any events connected with our 'Fit of the Fens' promotion.