Speech Version 2 !

gb155 · 27 May 2011

Ok Folkes, Let me have it !!!!!

---------------------------------------------

Inspire & empower

(‘Punchy’ start)

Look at me and what do you see ?

A super fit cyclist who can’t relate to you ?

Today I stand here, 14 stone and over 6 foot, I have a normal BMI and am void of any sort of medical ailments
But a little over 2 years ago I was looking to be inspired myself, for I have walked in your shoes.

A little over 2 years ago, my story was VERY VERY different,

I had given up on myself, Life was passing me by.

I wouldn’t have been able to stand here talking to you

For I was 39 stone and 13 pounds, (Emphasis)

Standing was hard work,

Walking near impossible,

Anything else was a pipe dream

Mentally I was weak well at the time I thought I was The following 2 years would prove beyond a shadow of doubt that I am far from weak……

I had Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnia and super high blood pressure.

I believe that when your in your 20’s you are supposed to have the time of your life but being just under 40 stone I couldn’t do that the truth is there was very little that I COULD do

My future looked bleak, I wasn’t sure that I had any kind of a future 

But I dared to dream ! 

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 and I was still a walking heath disaster zone. That I knew I had to step up.

I looked to be inspired and empowered - just like you’re doing now.

I watched the America version of The Biggest Loser, seeing people at 28 stones and over , RUNNING!,

it was a revelation to me,

I knew I could do this, I was also 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 chose to get a mountain bike in order to step up, could I ever wear the same kit Lance Armstrong wears ? Could I ever ride a road bike with skinny tyres like Lance ?

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 helped show me to way to get to who I am today,

it was painful, humiliating, but I loved it, every second of it.

Today, “People say I’m crazy because of how much cycling I do . But I have this passion for riding my bike. Every day. As long as possible…

I came from nowhere. I wasn’t an athlete. I wasn’t into sport. I would finish last in almost every race or event I enter as a youngster.

But with an unrelting passion I built things up at speed I never thought possible, when I was told to ride for an hour, I’d ride for 2, when someone suggested a 15 mile ride I’d do 30 , and on these long , punishing rides , alone and on isolated roads I set about rebuilding myself, mentally and physically ……….an athlete was being born in front of my eyes 

I don't believe I am super talented. But I do think I do whatever I can to achieve what I want.

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 all the other riders.

Off we went and I started to enjoy it - here was a man, 25 stone, passing other people on his first ever 65 mile ride. Doing something you’re not even supposed to do. 

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 again became very emotional and 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 there are many people out there that think 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 ………..other riders , 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 55 Miles 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,

…… ….then …………..BOOM……….my body shut down again after a few more miles .

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 miles are a blur..of 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 the friend I was riding with , I didn’t want him to know I was crying like a baby, we had 2 miles 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, people who were cheering me in,

I could see the finish line in the distance, I turned to Paul (my good friend and riding partner of the day) and said "sorry" I looked down, held my breath and I took off,

I dont know what happened, but I was sprinting at well over 30 Mph , Paul did try and keep up but I wasn’t 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 64 and a half miles , 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 you’re DOING.

Our bodies, 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 be the same again………..

Today, I now cycle between 20 and 40 miles per day I like to ride my bike. It’s an addiction…If it was a jon, It would be just the best job in the world."

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 

If you do what you’ve always done, you always get what you’ve always got.

I stopped making excuses and decided to change my life for the better;

don’t tell yourself you’ll start tomorrow or maybe next week – start now !

Don’t think that you can’t change - you can ! And you CAN do it without the need for surgery, without the need for a gastric band. I did – so can you !*

Look at me – I’ve changed. . . . .And if I can do it – so can you !

(*repeated to enforce message that they can also do it)

And I’ll tell you something else, the journey was hard – but I’ve enjoyed it !

Being inspired and empowered saved my life,

today I am here to help inspire and empower each and every single one of you… 

"I'd be very pleased to answer any questions that you might have"

Thank You!

PpPete · 27 May 2011

gb155 said:
Ok Folkes, Let me have it !!!!!

---------------------------------------------

Inspire & empower

(‘Punchy’ start)

Look at me and what do you see ?

A super fit cyclist who can’t relate to you ?

Today I stand here, 14 stone and over 6 foot, I have a normal BMI and am free of any sort of medical ailments
But a little over 2 years ago I was looking to be inspired myself, for I have walked in your shoes.

A little over 2 years ago, my story was VERY VERY different,

I had given up on myself, Life was passing me by.

I wouldn’t have been able to stand here talking to you

For I was 39 stone and 13 pounds, (Emphasis)

Walking near impossible, even standing was hard work,

Anything else was a pipe dream

Mentally I was weak (pause for effect) well at the time I thought I was.

The following 2 years would prove beyond a shadow of doubt that I am far from weak……

I had Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and super high blood pressure.

I believe that when your in your 20’s you are supposed to have the time of your life but being just under 40 stone I couldn’t do that the truth is there was very little that I COULD do

My future looked bleak, I wasn’t sure that I had any kind of a future 

But I dared to dream ! 

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 and I was still a walking heath disaster zone. That I knew I had to step up.

I looked to be inspired and empowered - just like you’re doing now.

I watched the America version of The Biggest Loser, seeing people at 28 stones and over , RUNNING!,

it was a revelation to me,

I knew I could do this, I was also 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 chose to get a mountain bike in order to step up, could I ever wear the same kit Lance Armstrong wears ? Could I ever ride a road bike with skinny tyres like Lance ?

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 helped show me to way to get to who I am today,

it was painful, humiliating, but I loved it, every second of it.

Today, “People say I’m crazy because of how much cycling I do . But I have this passion for riding my bike. Every day. As long as possible…

I came from nowhere. I wasn’t an athlete. I wasn’t into sport. I would finish last in almost every race or event I enter as a youngster.

But with an unrelting passion I built things up at speed I never thought possible, when I was told to ride for an hour, I’d ride for 2, when someone suggested a 15 mile ride I’d do 30 , and on these long , punishing rides , alone and on isolated roads I set about rebuilding myself, mentally and physically ……….an athlete was being born in front of my eyes 

I don't believe I am super talented. But I do think I do whatever I can to achieve what I want.

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 all the other riders.

Off we went and I started to enjoy it - here was a man, 25 stone, passing other people on his first ever 65 mile ride. Doing something you’re not even supposed to do. 

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 again became very emotional and 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 there are many people out there that think 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 ………..other riders , 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 55 Miles 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,

…… ….then …………..BOOM……….my body shut down again after a few more miles .

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 miles are a blur..of 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 the friend I was riding with , I didn’t want him to know I was crying like a baby, we had 2 miles 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, people who were cheering me in,

I could see the finish line in the distance, I turned to Paul (my good friend and riding partner of the day) and said "sorry" I looked down, held my breath and I took off,

I dont know what happened, but I was sprinting at well over 30 Mph , Paul did try and keep up but I wasn’t 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 64 and a half miles , 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~~ This was ANOTHER day that changed my life,

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 you’re DOING.

Our bodies, 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 be the same again………..

Today, I now cycle between 20 and 40 miles per day I like to ride my bike. It’s an addiction…If it was a jon, It would be just the best job in the world."

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 

If you do what you’ve always done, you always get what you’ve always got.

I stopped making excuses and decided to change my life for the better;

don’t tell yourself you’ll start tomorrow or maybe next week – start now !

Don’t think that you can’t change - you can ! And you CAN do it without the need for surgery, without the need for a gastric band. I did – so can you !*

Look at me – I’ve changed. . . . .And if I can do it – so can you !

(*repeated to enforce message that they can also do it)

And I’ll tell you something else, the journey was hard – but I’ve enjoyed it !

Being inspired and empowered saved my life,

today I am here to help inspire and empower each and every single one of you… 

"I'd be very pleased to answer any questions that you might have"

Thank You!

Just a few suggestions in bold

Otherwise.... great - go for it.
And when you are standing up, before you start, sweating, shaking, just remember....you've already given a lot of inspiration to a lot of people, via your posts on CC and via your blog. You can inspire !

Angelfishsolo · 27 May 2011

+amen

PpPete said:
Just a few suggestions in bold

Otherwise.... great - go for it.
And when you are standing up, before you start, sweating, shaking, just remember....you've already given a lot of inspiration to a lot of people, via your posts on CC and via your blog. You can inspire !

Dave Davenport · 27 May 2011

You don't say if you're using any visual props? Something that visually shows where you were and where you've got to i.e holding up a pair of trousers from when you were big, would add a lot to the impact. People take in a lot more with thier eyes than ears.

gb155 · 27 May 2011

Dave Davenport said:
You don't say if you're using any visual props? Something that visually shows where you were and where you've got to i.e holding up a pair of trousers from when you were big, would add a lot to the impact. People take in a lot more with thier eyes than ears.

I'm pretty sure I wont be able to at this event

Kirstie · 27 May 2011

I like that better now. You just need to tell them what they need to do differently.

Speech Version 2 !

gb155

Fan Boy No More.

PpPete

Legendary Member

Angelfishsolo

A Velocipedian

Dave Davenport

Guru

gb155

Fan Boy No More.

Kirstie

Über Member

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