In a world of couch potatoes and telly addiction a Shepton Mallet teenager is setting a great example to her peers.

Fourteen-year-old Sarah Wellman, a pupil at Whitstone School, has made the impressive achievement of shedding several stone and dropping two dress sizes after dedicating herself to a new gym programme.

Sarah was unhappy in herself. Her parents noticed this and it hurt them knowing she was lacking confidence and facing difficult times with teasing about being overweight.

Sarah was an active girl and, with her mum, Christine, had been attending kick boxing classes at the Shepton Mallet Leisure Centre. There they heard about a new scheme set up by Somerset Leisure called the Fit and Active Club, designed to help teenagers adopt a fit and healthy lifestyle.

Sarah decided to join the programme and signed up in February with a friend.

Staff at the centre designed a special gym programme for Sarah as part of their new scheme to encourage 12 to 16- year-olds to get active or take up a sport.

Sarah says the staff gave her the encouragement and support she needed to reach her fitness goals.

"When I started at the gym, I was not very happy with myself and fed up with people making comments about my weight. I joined the Fit and Active Club with a friend and it was great to be able to use a gym, as many places do not cater for people of my age group. I was given lots of help and support and I have dropped from a size 16 to a 12, so now I feel really great and I love shopping for new clothes."

Christine says the Fit and Active Club has made a big difference to Sarah's life: "I have noticed a real change in Sarah. Losing weight and getting fit has made a real difference to her in terms of confidence and her outlook on life. She used to wear lots of layers of clothes to cover the way she looked. Now she is so much happier and enjoys her life more. It is lovely to see the change in her. I sometimes do a double take to check it really is Sarah."

Apart from the cost of more clothes shopping with her daughter, Christine says that now she has to worry about trying to keep up with Sarah at kick-boxing classes. "We both enjoy our kick-boxing classes and enjoy fitness as a family. I am going to have to work hard to keep up with her, but it is all worth it to see her so happy."

Now content with her weight, Sarah continues to exercise and take part at the Kar'loti Kick Jitsu Club.

Sarah said: "It's a great way to get anger out."

And she admitted she was even allowed to kick her mum.

An important change is that Sarah is now really looking forward to going back to school to start her GCSEs.

Christine said: "I've bought her a new school uniform. She was wearing her old one until the end of last term and with all the layers people couldn't really see the weight loss."

Her classmates will see the difference though come the new term in September.

Both Sarah and her mum are very grateful to the staff at the leisure centre, particularly Sarah's instructor Colin Radforth.

But they know much of the effort is down to Sarah. Christine said: "The team at the leisure centre have been great. But we are very proud of Sarah. She did it herself and was very dedicated to the programme."

For more details about the Fit and Active Club contact centre manager Karen Allum on 01749 346644.