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A man who weighed 25 stone (159kg) at his heaviest said he wanted to prove to himself that he could do anything as he prepares to complete his first marathon.
Jake Baxter, 28, originally from Blackpool, suffered abuse and bullying when he was younger and he said he was made to feel like he would never achieve.
He said he had slowly built up his confidence over time and was now determined to complete the Manchester Marathon on Sunday.
“I wanted to prove to myself more than anybody that these things that typically, people made me feel I couldn’t do, I can do,” he said.
Mr Baxter, who now lives in Salford, has already completed a half marathon but the 26.2-mile (42km) run will be his biggest test yet.
“I’ve always been the big kid, if you like, since I was a little boy. I’ve been bullied because of that,” he said.
“It has been instilled in me that I was kind of the weak kid who was not really going to do anything.
“You’re always going to be fat and nothing.
“And that’s kind of the reputation I’ve built – even within myself. If you hear something for so long you believe it’s true.”
He said he became “hooked on running” after deciding to take part in Hyrox – a fitness race.
Mr Baxter has since shed more than 10 stone (63kg).
Jake Baxter“When I was a lot bigger, I was kind of like 25 stone, I wasn’t able to walk up the stairs or anything like that without getting tired,” he said.
“So from this to 10k, a half marathon to now the full thing. I feel like I’ve slowly built up my confidence over time.”
He said he was feeling confident ahead of the race and wanted to raise awareness of men’s mental health in the process.
After being diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder in 2020, he said he was keen to help others in a similar situation.
“I started out doing it for me but if I can inspire other people, even just one person to make a positive change, then that’s great,” he said.
