A WOMAN from Okehampton has won a finalist award in a national award scheme.

Rachel Baker, the franchisee for the Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club in West Devon and North Cornwall, was chosen as a finalist in the company's Newcomer of the Year 2011 awards, beating off competition from many of the 170 franchisees across the nation.

She said: 'I am thrilled to become a finalist in the awards. Running a Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club is incredibly rewarding and it is a terrific achievement to reach this stage in the awards.

'Our classes offer a fun and sociable way for members to achieve their weight loss goals. Even when they reach their target weight, members continue to attend classes week after week, just to maintain their weight and to take part in the exercise sessions.'

Rachel began running the club in September 2010. She was presented with the finalist's award by Rosemary Conley at a ceremony at the Doubletree by Hilton in Milton Keynes on Friday.

Rosemary said: 'The Newcomer of the Year Award is presented to a new franchisee who has achieved the best performance in the last twelve months. In that time Rachel has worked tremendously hard to build her business and she has performed extremely well to become a finalist.'