Southport slimmers who lost 23st brave 15,000ft skydive for hospice

Two Southport slimmers who shed a total of 23 stones have completed a daredevil skydive to raise thousands of pounds for charity.

Southport slimmers Fiona Foulder and Kelly Barker conquered their fears to jump out of a plane at 15,000ft.

The thrilling challenge at Black Knights skydive centre in Lancaster on Monday has so far raised almost £5,000 for Queenscourt Hospice which provides end of life support and care for people in Southport and Formby, and across West Lancashire.

Kelly, 45, admits: “It was absolutely terrifying, but a really emotional day.”

The epic feat was their celebration of what’s possible following weightloss after Kelly and Fiona lost a respective 18½ and 4 ½ stones.

Kelly adds: “It’s not just about weightloss, but about hope, support, and the life-changing power of your community.”

At her heaviest Kelly weighed a staggering 28½ stones and lived in constant pain, both physically and emotionally.

It was when she was offered bariatric surgery on the NHS and discovered she was terrified of dying on the operating table and leaving her son without a mother, that she realised she had to do something before it was too late.

She says; “I hit rock bottom, I wasn’t living, I was barely existing.

“I was in pain every day, ashamed, and full of fear.”

She joined Slimming World in a bid to change her life ‘putting my trust in the group and the power of the community and I’ve never looked back’.

A former Slimming World National Woman of the Year in 2023, she is now a consultant herself running groups in Ainsdale and Southport.

Fiona, 41, who’s now Slimming World district manager for Southport, lost 4 ½ stones with the help of the popular weightloss programme.

Just a few years ago Fiona was fighting for breath, tipping the scales at 16 stones and living with severe brittle asthma which left her being rushed into intensive care nine times in three years and fighting for her life.

Fiona says; “Every time I was admitted I genuinely believed I might not come out.”

Losing weight meant Fiona became eligible for treatments that controlled her condition and ultimately saved her life.

The pair say Slimming World gives hope, and help to people to like them to rebuild their lives.

“Slimming World groups are more than weigh-ins, they’re lifelines, and safe spaces where people are seen, heard and uplifted; where shame is replaced with encouragement, and isolation with belonging.

“Community is at the heart of everything Slimming World does,” says Kelly, “and that’s why we wanted to put back into the community, and raise funds for Queenscourt.

“We’ve seen the incredible compassion and care it offers to families at the most difficult time, including our Slimming World members and their loved ones.”

“Queenscourt is so important to us and it’s touched the lives of people we care about,” agrees Fiona. “Supporting it was our way of saying thank you and making sure that support is there for others when they need it.

“With the skydive, as well as raising money for an amazing place, we were showing that, like us, people can turn their lives around. We’ve gone from barely surviving to seeking thrills with an incredible skydive.

“I was nervous—but more than that, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. To be doing something so bold for a cause so close to my heart felt like a full-circle moment. I’ve known what it is to feel powerless, and now here I was, soaring through the sky, proving to myself and others that anything is possible with hope and support.”

Kelly says: “Sitting on the edge of that plane, I thought about the woman I used to be—the one who watched life from the sidelines, too afraid to dream.

“Losing 18½ stone didn’t just give me my health back—it gave me moments like this. I cried with pride, disbelief, and gratitude and I felt alive in a way I never thought possible.”

To support Kelly and Fiona and help raise money for Queenscourt Hospice in Southport, go to their JustGiving page.

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