My lifelong inspiration

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ErrataCorrige
ErrataCorrige Posts: 649 Member
in Motivation and Support
I grew up with a guy named Jason, who was always "the fat kid" in class. (I went to school in the 70's and 80's when there was only 1 or 2 fat kids per class, not 30%.) Anyway, Jason was morbidly obses as a kid. So were his brother, sister, mother and father. Very, very obese. He was always withdrawn, never had friends, always sad and shy. Sometime in high school something changed for him and I would see him every day walking by my house. Every day.

After a few months he would run by every day. Every day.

Eventually the weight came off and he looked great. In a misguided attempt at congratulating him I approached him and began to explain how great I thought it was that he was trying to lose weight and et skinny. (Dumb teenage girl mistake.) He was so visibly upset that he began to shake. I didn't know if he was going to cry or punch me. He walked away from me as fast as he could.

When I mentioned this to a friend a year later, I found out that his whole family was mocking him for his weight loss. They would call him names and throw food at him when he refused to eat. His own parents were abusing him because HE WAS GETTING SKINNIER! I always felt so bad for him, and there have been countless moments in my life when I thought of Jason and was insipred to keep going, no matter what challenge I was facing.

Today I ran across him on facebook.

He is a professional marathon runner!

Replies

  • shawnscott5
    shawnscott5 Posts: 295 Member
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    It is so sad that people do horrible things to one another, esspecially when it is your own family. Good for Jason, and that is sad yet wonderful story you shared.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    wow... how freakin awesome is that?!??!!! Good for him! Congratulate him for me if talk to him on FB.
  • allie864
    allie864 Posts: 298
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    It's sad when a family member won't support someone trying to be healthier/lose weight. I can understand friends having their little 'reasons' but family... you would at least hope they can be there for you no matter what. Unfortunately, I know it happens ALL the time, though. Regardless, CONGRATS to him for staying strong & continuing his journey anyways! :)
  • Shanna_Inc86
    Shanna_Inc86 Posts: 781 Member
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    That is amazing! People like that are the reason I started to believe that I don't have to yo-yo diet like my mother. Thank you for sharing that story
  • Bigmomma0u812
    Bigmomma0u812 Posts: 118
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    Now that's a good story. I'm really glad that he changed his life. It was sure different growing up fat then vs. now. I became the fat kid in elementary school and there were only 3 of us in my class. I work with kids in elementary school now and the great majority of them are over weight.
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
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    Parents like that should be charged with child abuse. Good for him to have the strength to overcome.
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
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    That's so sad. I hope his family are supporting him now.
    It sounds like they may not have been ready to do something about their weight/health. It must be easy to blame it on things outside your control (genes?) when the whole family is obese and you don't want to change your habits, but seeing him change and slim down shows that they most probably can do it too.
    So glad he managed to get through that and do what HE wanted to do :D
  • jessilyn76
    jessilyn76 Posts: 532 Member
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    Love this amazing and inspriational story!!!
  • beckyinma
    beckyinma Posts: 1,433 Member
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    Awesome!!!!! What adversity he overcame. I bet he's the most mellow laid back guy ever too.
  • JohnFurie
    JohnFurie Posts: 45
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    Wow what a inspirational story, some people including family can be so cruel!!
  • withchaco
    withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
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    What an amazing job he's done... He's a proof that where there is a will, there is a way!
  • xxx_Pink_Princess_xxx
    xxx_Pink_Princess_xxx Posts: 875 Member
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    WOW, that had me in tears!!! Thank you for sharing, and please contact Jason and speak with him. xxxx
  • Baldylocks30
    Baldylocks30 Posts: 37 Member
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    that surely amounts to abuse, firstly for allowing your children to get into such a state and secondly the obvious emotional abuse for him trying to do something about it.

    well good on him! he must have had some exceptional will power to do all that on his own with that kind of pressure from the people who were supposed to love and support him.
  • nrd2212
    nrd2212 Posts: 128
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    bump
  • xxx_Pink_Princess_xxx
    xxx_Pink_Princess_xxx Posts: 875 Member
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    bump coz I wont loads of people to read this xxx

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