A mother from Shropshire has revealed how a humiliating skiing accident, which saw her strapped to a sledge and towed off a mountain by paramedics, became the pivotal moment that spurred her to lose five stone in just six months.
The Mountain Rescue That Changed Everything
Natalie Colbourne-Park, a 43-year-old national sales manager, was enjoying a family holiday at the Val d'Isère ski resort in France in January 2024 when disaster struck. Just two hours into her first day on the slopes, Natalie, who weighed 14 stone 7 pounds at the time, took what she describes as a "bone-crunching" slow-pace fall.
The 5ft 5in mother-of-two explained how her knees slid forward while her body tilted backward during the accident, which she directly attributes to her weight. "That was caused by the fact that I was overweight, because it was a very slow-paced injury," Natalie recalled. "My knee went down the hill, and the rest of my body went up the hill, and it snapped my knee."
A Humiliating Rescue Operation
Pictures from the incident show a mortified Natalie being strapped onto a rescue sledge and hauled off the ski slope by emergency responders. "I had to be rescued, and my kids found it hilarious," she admitted. "They put me on a stretcher and put a plastic blanket on me. It was just frustrating more than anything."
The accident resulted in a broken right knee that required reconstructive surgery, but more significantly, it served as what Natalie calls the "trigger" for her weight loss transformation. "I was completely embarrassed," she confessed. "I was skiing with my family, and my in-laws and I caused chaos for everybody."
The Mounjaro Transformation
In February 2024, just weeks after her return from France, Natalie began a course of Mounjaro injections - a weight loss medication that would change her life. Within six months, she had lost an astonishing 5 stone 7 pounds, dropping to 9 stone and shrinking from a size 16 to a size 6.
"I've tried so many different diets, I lost the weight and put it all back on," Natalie explained. "With every diet that I've tried I feel like I'm fighting my body, while with Mounjaro I feel like I'm in control. It transformed how I felt about taking control of my weight."
Life After the Weight Loss
Now 18 months into maintaining her new weight, Natalie describes feeling "incredibly confident" and notes that even her children have noticed the difference. "My kids see that because they say 'Mummy, you look so much happier now than you were when you were fat'," she shared.
The practical differences in her life have been equally dramatic. "I went from having to buy very masculine ski-wear like XL trousers and jackets, to buying myself an all-in-one ski-suit in a size small this year," she revealed. "Life is just easier when you're not overweight. I'm more agile, being able to bend down and put my ski boots on and put my kids' ski boots on."
From Personal Struggle to Business Inspiration
During her Mounjaro journey, Natalie found herself taking a staggering 18 supplements daily, spending over £2,000 throughout her transformation. This experience, combined with her professional background in pharmaceuticals and medical aesthetics, inspired her to create HerVibe Supplements.
"I was just trying to protect my body and minimise side effects on Mounjaro," Natalie explained. "I was using two pill organisers because there were so many that they didn't fit in one. I was absolutely rattling with pills."
HerVibe is designed as a companion system to support women taking weight loss medications like Mounjaro or Wegovy. "I wanted to create something that is accessible, easy and sustainable," she said. "It's very discreet, and that was done with intention. There are lots of supplements on the market that try to replace the jab. HerVibe isn't that, it's designed as a companion to sit alongside the journey."
Reflecting on the Accident That Changed Her Life
Despite the initial embarrassment and disruption to her family holiday, Natalie now views the skiing accident as "the most wonderful thing that ever happened" to her. "I was embarrassed and frustrated that I'd done it, but in hindsight, it's the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me because I wouldn't be where I am now," she reflected.
The mother, who continues to enjoy skiing holidays with her family, has completely transformed her relationship with food and her body. "I don't snack a lot anymore, I don't boredom eat, I know what foods are good for me," she said, acknowledging that portion control had been one of her main challenges previously.
Natalie's story serves as a powerful reminder that sometimes our most difficult moments can become the catalysts for our greatest transformations, proving that from humiliation can come hope, and from accident can come achievement.
