A single mother-of-three has shown her children that you can always achieve your dreams as she becomes a personal trainer.

Linzi Monks from Burnley has set up her own business, Level Up with Linzi, after successfully completing her nutrition and exercise sciences degree at UCLan.

Based at TnT training on Accrington Road in the town, the 41-year-old has been offering one-to-one and small group training sessions since May this year.

Linzi has been running her new business alongside finishing her degree studies and bringing up her three children Maddison, 18, Lawson, nine, and Lainey, five, as a single parent.

Linzi began her journey in 2017 when she completed an access course at Burnley College before attending UCLan.

Keen to push herself, Linzi also completed a level three personal training diploma but suffered setbacks after dealing with several family bereavements in a short space of time.

She said: “I feel extremely proud of everything I’ve achieved and my children are also very proud of what I have accomplished. I know this will inspire them to achieve their own goals in the future.

“I briefly put my studies on hold last year because I lost three family members within three weeks and had to deal with this alongside coping with lockdown and home-schooling.

“However, I knew I needed to return to study and finish what I started and I’m really grateful for the opportunity and for the level of teaching and support I received from my tutors.

“I’ve had the most amazing five years with many ups and downs and am thankful for the support I’ve had from my parents and my daughter Maddison.”

Former Nelson and Colne College student Linzi already has the future firmly in her sights and is planning to return to UCLan next year to complete a masters degree alongside building up her business.