It’s been an emotional few months for 35-year-old Kirstie Logan-Townshend, whose weight loss and fundraising journey has caught the hearts of the Swansea public, who have commended her on her determination to change and inspire others.
The sudden death of her father had left her battling PTSD and weight gain which had been a major factor in her health deteriorating.
At her heaviest, she tipped the scales at nearly 18 stone, suffered from hypertension, high cholesterol, and joint pain, and was bordering on diabetes.
Her turning point came in 2021 after being admitted to hospital with COVID-19, where a doctor told her that her obesity was a major contributing factor to her condition. That stark warning sparked a complete lifestyle overhaul.
Kirsty decided to take up hill walking across Gower every chance she got and found by changing her poor dietary habits she would go on to lose seven stone, a remarkable feat that reversed all of her health problems.
Kirstie, who was recently crowned International Ms Wales 2025, had to choose a charity as part of her pageantry work for the event.
She decided to affiliate with Morgan’s Army – a Swansea-based charity supporting families affected by childhood cancer.
Inspired by the strength and resilience shown by the family of Morgan Ridler, who tragically died in 2023, Kirstie decided to run the Swansea Half Marathon in support of the charity.
“I was already on my weight loss journey when I started following Morgan Ridler’s story and his parents’ incredible strength,” explained Kirstie.
“Morgan’s Army became my chosen charity during my reign as Ms Wales. Their resilience gave me the perspective I needed to keep going, and now I felt it’s my turn to give something back.”
After hours and hours of grueling training, an overwhelmed Kirstie battled through the pain barriers to cross the finishing line to complete her goal.
“I wanted to share that I successfully completed the half marathon, and ran the entire thing without stopping to walk,” explained Kirstie after the race.
“I ran victoriously across the finishing line, with my sash on!
“It has been the best and hardest thing I have ever done but I did not give up.
“Even when everybody else around me started walking. I just had to carry on. I had never run 13 miles before – I’ve only been running for six weeks!
“The final three miles were treacherous… the pavement was hard underfoot; the sun was beating down on us, and I felt like the Meridian Tower was getting further and further away.
“But despite feeling like I had nothing left to give, I still danced through all of the charity stations and partied with supporters on the sidelines.
“You need to show up, even when you’ve got nothing left – and I finally made it.
“I have raised £430 for Morgan’s Army and my fundraising page is still taking donations – I’m trying to get to £500 – and I also vlogged the entire thing.
“I was so overwhelmed upon completion that I had a little cry afterwards. This journey hasn’t just been about training for a half marathon – it’s been about journeying to health and happiness.
“It seems like yesterday when I was over 17 stone and struggling to even jog across the road.
“Here I am today, looking at my medal with admiration. I did that, for Morgan and for everybody.
“This experience has given me purpose: before this, I wasn’t sure what I was capable of, but now I have no doubt.
“I feel recalibrated, energised, and excited to take on the next challenge.”
[Lead image: Kirstie Logan-Townshend]
