A SLIMMER who lost a life-changing 15st in just over a year has reached the finals of a national competition.

As the Daily Echo reported, 25-year-old Harriet Jenkins has literally become half the woman she used to be, going from 26st 7lb to 11st 9lb and landing her dream job working with children.

Now a teacher, she is one of ten women across the UK to reach the final stages of Slimming World’s Woman of the Year 2010 competition and got the chance to meet Hollyoaks hunk and Strictly Come Dancing star Ricky Whittle.

Finalist Harriet, from Shirley in Southampton, transformed from a size 28, above, to a size 12 after joining a Slimming World group in Freemantle in April last year.

She said: “I’m so proud of myself. The key is to be really determined, just stick to it and not let bad days get you down.”

If Harriet is crowned the winner at an awards event in Birmingham next month she stands to win a trip to Mexico.