gb155
Fan Boy No More.
- Location
- Manchester-Ish
Most of you know my story, here is the Speech I have wrote for my motivational speaking gig this weekend, I'd love to hear your HONEST thoughts.
critique me baby !
Thank You!
critique me baby !
Inspire & empower
A little over 2 years ago I was looking to be inspired myself, for I have walked in your shoes, today I stand here, 14 stone and over 6 foot, I have a normal BMI and am void of any sort of medical ailments
However, my story was VERY VERY different, for a little over 2 years ago I wouldn’t have been able to stand here talking to you, I was 39 stone and 13 pounds, standing was hard work, walking near impossible, anything else was a pipe dream, but I dared to dream, having Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnia and super high blood pressure.
It was one evening, I was at Manchester Royal for a heart scan, all I had to do was lay there , for 30 mins and do nothing, but the weight of my huge mass was crushing my insides, I was sweating and unable to breath, yet all I was doing was laying there, for me , that was the moment I knew I MUST change.
I set about eating less and lost 6 stone, it was when I was at 34 stone, I was still a walking heath disaster zone. that I knew I had to step up.
I looked to be inspired and empowered, I watched the America version of The Biggest Loser, seeing people at 380 pounds, RUNNING!, it was a revelation to me, I knew I could do this, I was inspired by 7 times Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong, Lance had cancer was given a 30% chance of survival and yet not only did he survive, he went on to be the single most successful cyclist EVER, together Lance and The Biggest Loser would define and shape my future.
I got a bike my first journey was half a mile out and half a mile back, just 1 mile, yet it was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life ! I was slow, wobbly (both me and the bike) sweaty and it was humiliating but you know, I was doing it, I got up the next day and I wanted to do it again, so I did and for that week I rode a total of 5 miles. Those 5 miles defined who I am today, it was painful, humiliating, but I loved it, every second of it.
A little over a year later, after losing 15 stone, I decided to do the Manchester to Blackpool charity ride, I was 25 stone at the time, I was stood on the start line, all around me were skinny cyclists and I do mean SKINNY, I got quite emotional , I had done so much to just get to the start line, yet I still weighed more than 99% of the other riders.
I started to enjoy it it, here was a man, 25 stone, passing other people on his first ever 100km ride. Doing something your not even supposed to do.
So, there was I , passing people slimmer and fitter than I was, having the time of my life, thinking why the hell didn’t I get off the couch sooner, this is a whole new world, That’s why I did it, but also to get that guy off the couch , who’s wondering, what the hell am I doing here
With about 15 miles left, I had nothing left. I couldn’t turn the peddles , I couldn’t sit down,
I was done, I thought "that’s it , my ride, my dream of finishing is over" but at that moment, I remembered back to where I was, 40 stone, sat on the couch, watching Biggest Loser , junk food all around me thinking to myself, I want to be like them.
I’m not alone there, I think they are many people out that about all the things they want to be doing, but they don’t get off the couch and go.
So there I am, speed dropping, not able to stand up, not able to sit down, not able to stop, not able to push on ………..People, crowds of them, streaming passed me and I could hear them say "WOW …this guy is done, he’s not gonna make it, he will NOT get to the finish line"
I’m not here to impress anyone, I can only do what I can do, one thing I will say is that I wont quit, I dont know what that word means
about 90 Km into the ride I managed to find something, from somewhere, I dont know what went on but I felt great, I felt like I had only just started the ride, I took off and was "flying"…I was gonna do it, I was going to make the finish line at this rate, No problems …… ….then …………..BOOM……….my body shut down again after a few more km’s.
I went back to the helpless feelings of "I can’t do this" and my speed dropped to an almost "walking pace"
The next few KM’s are a blur..pain……suffering…..thoughts of despair …wanting to die , feeling like I was going to….…But then……… I came around a corner and I saw "The Big One" roller-coaster, I knew I was in Blackpool now, the tears streamed down my face, I couldn’t look at Paul, I didn’t want him to know I was crying like a baby, we had 3 km’s to go, I was saying to myself "You can finish, you can do this, you can finish this"
As we turned into The Prom from Starr Gate, I could hear the people cheering, I could see the finish line in the distance, I turned to Paul and said "sorry" I looked down held my breath and took off, I dont know what happened, but I was sprinting at well over 30 Mph , Paul did try and keep up but I wasnt slowing for anything, I was riding as fast I could, faster than I ever had in my whole life and yet, i’d just done 99.5 km’s, much much more than I have ever done before.
I crossed the finish line and I never quit……No matter how much pain, humiliation or suffering, I never quit…….
I look back over at that ride today and you know what, THAT ride changed me, It made me realise that, its not about how much you weigh, it’s not about what you’ve done in your past, it’s about what your DOING. Our body’s, they are amazing, I shouldn’t have been able to do what I did that day, I didn’t train anywhere near enough, my nutrition was poor and I was obese…. But my body, it just kept going.
There is something about pushing yourself beyond your limits that people need to do once in their life , you need to take the chance , ONE TIME, to see what you really can do……….. but once you have done it, you will NEVER bee the same again………..
Today I now cycle between 20 and 40 miles per day, I have no health issues, my diabetes was weight related, I no longer have an issue, my high blood pressure resulted in a resting heart rate of over 130 beats per min, today its under 40 BPM
Being inspired and empowered saved my life, today I am here to help inspire and empower each and every single one of you…
Thank You!