Triathlete uses tale of his transformation to help out others
 

08:43 PM CST on Saturday, November 20, 2004

Associated Press

LAKE CHARLES, La. – Michael Pate was once a 370-pound coach potato. Today he's a triathlete and speaks often to groups of people who are left with few excuses of their own after hearing his story.

Mr. Pate, of Alexandria, talked about his transformation of mind and body at a recent meeting of the Lake Charles Triathletes.

A triathlete competes in a mix of three sports in succession. A triathlon is a combination of swimming, bicycling and running.

During the last three years, Mr. Pate has completed 16 triathlons. He is the writer and editor of his own Web site, www.whenbigboystri.com. He travels around the country giving motivational speeches.

He has written and self-published a book, When Big Boys Tri, which is available through his Web site.

Mr. Pate, a father of two, said he simply decided one day to get off the couch and start moving.

It wasn't easy.

"At 370 pounds, a simple run around the block was pure torture on my body," he said. "It was also a case of going from being inactive in cardiovascular exercise to trying to run, bike and swim – all of which are tough cardio workouts. It was exhausting."

He suffered a broken arm, an injured foot and various other scrapes and spills along the way.

There were psychological challenges as well.

"It was difficult because I understandably had a poor body image," he said. "I was worried that the real athletes would not accept me at triathlons."

To his surprise, he said, he found much support from his local triathletes club. "There was no judging. There was only encouragement," he said.

Mr. Pate also found inspiration from his family.

"At the end of the day, what matters is who you come home to," he said.

For other people wishing to change their life, Mr. Pate offered this advice: "Don't do it for someone else's approval. Don't do it because it's the latest trend in the headlines. Don't do it for the short term. Make a decision that you want to change your life forever because you want to get the most out of your life."

He added: "If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. But taking the first step out the door is making a commitment to yourself and a commitment to taking the next step to achieving your goals.

"I've reached a new level of fitness for myself," he said. "I've met a lot of great people ... who have inspired me with words and actions. Hopefully, my efforts will help me to enjoy my life and my family more."