If you want some inspiration on why movement is key at any point in someones life then please read on......
Whatever we write here it honesty won't show what Peter has been through and the level of change and journey he has been on. It won't show the hardworking, the days he didn't want to turn up or the days where life was probably at its toughest for him. Its simply a snap shot of Peters story but we do hope Peters mini story motivates you further and highlights the good work he has done.
To us as owners it highlights another reason why we never want to put opportunities in place for people who feel they might need further support towards their health and maybe question is exercise and fitness impossible for them............nothing is impossible and this story proves that.
Just remember, the social, the physical and the mental health aspect is so important. We don't just want one, we hopefully are pushing all in a positive direction but the environment we are creating
If you come to a Crossfit Life class, you will probably be there after Peter as he loves being early and he will probably be sitting on a bike raring to go........he loves the bike!!!
When did you start? I think May 2017
Sports / Fitness background?
Nothing before 2015.
What kind of progress have you made over the past year? oh my - where to start I had a liver transplant at the end of July 2018. I was diagnosed in March 2015 with non alcoholic fatty liver disease. The NAFLD had led to irreversible cirrhosis of the liver and the condition was terminal - estimated 18-24 months. At 157 kg a transplant was ruled out as I was too fat and too unfit to survive the surgery. I lost 13kg in that year and was advised that if I could lose 30-50 kilos then transplant may be viable and I was given a referral to work with John . I hadn’t done exercise other than walking for over 10 years so at first rowing, cycling, weight resistance training were all a massive effort.
Over the next 2 years I kept adding to the exercise programme and I added swimming and also bought a bike. When the lads told me about the Crossfit Life class I immediately signed up. My wife Angela a fellow couch potato for many years also joined the class and we both go 3 times a week, obviously when not on holiday :-).
As the weight dropped off and my fitness levels improved my life expectancy grew but in January 2018 I developed a tumour in the liver (a known side effect of the cirrhosis). In March 2018 I sailed through the Transplant Pre-assessment Tests. By then I weighed 107kg - a total loss of 50kg. I developed a second tumour in June 2018 and had an estimate 3 months left. A body scan showed the tumours were restricted to the liver and on 26/7/18 I was successfully transplanted. The work I did training with John not only got me onto the Transplant List but the speed at which I recovered from the op was exceptional. I was out of intensive care within 36 hrs, walking within 3 days and cycling (exercise bike in my hospital room) 5 days after surgery. Just 7 days after the op I walked 2 miles around the hospital grounds. I was restricted to resuming the CrossFit training until the external wound healed but restarted (light duties and strictly no abdominal work) in November 2018. Things went fairly well until January 2019 when I succumbed to a viral infection picked up during the transplant process. Spent a bit of February & most of March in hospital again treating the infection. Since April 2019 I’ve been doing really well. Angela & I go to CrossFit Life 3 times a week, and we participated in the over 55’s team that completed the Fast Weekender 2 Marathon challenge. Outside of CrossFit I cycled over 1000 miles in 2019 and swim 1000m 2 or 3 times a week.
Why did you choose CFTT and the Crossfit Life classes? I worked with John previously at his old gym and was advised to exercise to help my health and I heard about coming out to this facility which I thought I would give it a try which would add to my training. My motivation to train was prior to transplant surgery to help both weight reduction and cardio vascular improvement, I was ultimately told I needed this to survive major surgery. What the biggest misconception about the training you do?
That Angela (my wife) likes the bike :-)
Favourite type of workouts?
Metcon - OK that’s a fib :-) but Rowing & Biking are my strong suits but I enjoy the variety and really like the team exercises. Advice for someone looking to start the Crossfit Life classes?
Just do it. The instructors are great. They tailor the workout routines to meet the individuals requirement - for example I have arthritis in both knees so some of the walking/jogging and stretching exercises are too much for my dodgy knees.
No problem - I’m always given an alternative exercise to do to work the muscle groups but in a different way. The exercises are always varied and there’s a nice fun element runs through the classes. Also as well as the instructors the people in the group are super friendly and really supportive.
What's next? Post transplant your exercise is curtailed and you are given a high protein diet including full fat dairy produce. As a result I’ve put on around about 10kg since the op when I’d dropped to just 100kg. I’d like to get below the 100kg mark in 2020 and of course stay fit and healthy. I also want to cycle abroad this year and have planned holidays in Spain, Switzerland, Belgium & Denmark that all have cycling included. I also want to double my cycling miles this year to 2000.
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