A NEWPORT Live member has won a fitness award after losing nine stones which helped her to reverse her diabetes diagnosis.

The South Wales Fitness Awards were held at The Bear Hotel in Cowbridge on Wednesday - with Newport woman Trudy Smith fighting off the competition to win the award for Member of the Year.

Ms Smith was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in January 2016. Six months later, she made the decision to take back control of her health and lifestyle, and began swimming and joined the gym.

As a result of her weight loss, Ms Smith has gone from wearing size 32 to 16 tops, and from wearing size 28 to 14 bottoms.

Ms Smith said: “It has been the hardest and most amazing journey of my life and I couldn’t have done it without Terri my trainer. I lost my dad to diabetes and my diagnosis made me really want to change, and that was the inspiration that kick started it and I did it all in 15 months.

"It is very hard work but I love it, they are my new family and I love them. The weight is still coming off. There’s still a long way to go and I won’t stop."