A FITNESS instructor has overcome a series of personal traumas to establish a successful slimming business.

Loraine Pickering gave up her steady, well-paid job to buy a Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club franchise.

The 35-year-old believes the turning point in her life came when she left a failing marriage six years ago.

She bundled her four children into the car to start a new life in Ferryhill, County Durham.

She met and married Andrew Pickering and soon had her fifth child, Danny, born prematurely six-and-a-half years ago.

After the birth, she needed an emergency hysterectomy, complications from which damaged her bowel and bladder. She picked up an infection and was catheterised for several months.

Then her father had a heart attack and husband Andrew was made redundant - he found himself out of work three times in that year.

At about the same time, a thunderstorm blew the electrics in their home in Ferryhill, which had to be re-wired throughout.

Loraine's weight was affected, and she put on the three stones she had lost about 15 years earlier.

Within three or four months she was so depressed she was taking Prozac.

It was about this time that Loraine experienced another major turning point.

She said: "It was at my boss's wife's 45th birthday party when someone took a photograph of me.

"It wasn't until I saw it that I realised I was overweight and that it was time I did something about it."

She joined a Rosemary Conley Club and was so impressed by the combination of diet, exercise and relaxation classes that she decided to get into the health and fitness business.

At the time, Loraine was an area sales manager for haulage company Ward Brothers, but she was determined to follow her insincts.

She said: "I made the decision on the first night I was there. I just thought it was something I should be doing, but it was a big step to give my job up because it was highly paid and came with a company car."

Loraine asked about obtaining a franchise, but could not afford it, so lived off her salary and banked her commission for 18 months until she had enough.

It cost £17,000 to buy the franchise, but associated costs increased that to £27,000.

Following the completion of her training, she is running classes in Ferryhill, Newton Aycliffe, Shildon, Sedgefield, Darlington and Redworth Hall.

Its success has been phenomenal. Loraine was told it would take more than six months for her to break even - she achieved that in the first week.

Classes have been so popular - Redworth Hall already has a waiting list - that she is hoping to run more, but will only be able to do that by taking on an extra employee.

Loraine believes that her past experiences have helped her, saying: "I think if I hadn't gone through what I have, I wouldn't have had such a positive outcome.

"You only get one chance in life and everything that has happened has made me more determined."

Loraine is committed to the club, which promotes a low-fat, high carbohydrate diet, offers 50 minutes exercise per class and relaxation sessions.

For more information on the classes, or to apply for a job, contact Loraine on (01740) 652052.