"I pondered this for six months because I didn’t know how to make the changes," he said.

Pate, an insurance claims representative who also has a sound system business in Alexandria, La., was setting up sound for a triathlon one day and stayed to watch.

"The first racers out of the water were just what I expected, those little bitty guys with zero percent body fat," Pate said. "But as time passed, I realized that people getting out of the water who weren’t zero percent body folks.

"They were your average, everyday Joe," he said. "What I didn’t understand is that each one had a big smile on his face, as if to say, ‘I did it!’"

At that time, Pate said, he didn’t think he could do a triathlon, "but I knew I could do something."

He started walking one block at a time, then he started biking and swimming. Before he knew it, Pate was participating in a short triathlon. Last weekend he completed his 13th triathlon in more than two years.

Pate has gone from a waist size of 54 to 46.

"I’m still a big guy, but I lost weight, and I’ve not weighed myself in a year," he said. "I don’t want to be obsessed with weight, and I wanted to lose it slowly and healthy."

Pate has written a book, "When Big Boys Tri," and now is a motivational speaker. He will be in La Crosse on Saturday, April 24, for Franciscan Skemp Diabetes Education Center’s 17th Annual "Celebration of Health."

The event, open to the public, is $8 with dinner at 6 p.m. and Pate’s presentation at 7 p.m. in Franciscan Skemp’s Marycrest Auditorium.

"People will ask me, ‘Are you amazed at how well you’ve done?’" Pate said. "I’m more amazed that people have found inspiration in what I do. I’ve made a difference in my life, but I never thought I’d be an inspiration to anyone.

"I think a lot of people relate to me and my experience," he said. "And then they figure if I can do this, then they can, too."

It’s difficult to explain how he gained all his weight, Pate said.

"What happens never happens overnight," he said. "Over 11 years, I gradually let myself go, and it happened at such a slow pace. I was focusing too much on my career."

He said he had to overcome some fears and find the courage to start a healthy living program.

"We cannot worry about yesterday, we can only focus on what we can do today," Pate said.

Pate started exercising and eating small meals throughout the day. "I would eat in moderation, and that has been the key, and I have tried not to use the word, ‘diet,’ because I’m not on a diet," he said.

He said he tried not to eat after 6 p.m., eliminated sweets, increased his intake of fiber and ate more fruits and vegetables. "Because I was working out, I started to think about what I was putting into my body," Pate said.

In January 2002, Pate set a goal to finish a short triathlon — 150-yard swim, 10-mile bike ride and 1 1/2-mile run. He finished his first three short triathlons and worked himself up to a longer triathlon — 600-yard swim, 18-mile bike ride and 5k run.

"We have this peculiar stereotype that big guys can’t do triathlons, and that it’s a thin man’s sport," Pate said. "I knew I could do it and I had to prove it to myself."

On some days, he swims, bikes or runs and on other days he goes to the gym to lift weights.

People don’t need to participate in triathlons, but they need to find a physical activity they enjoy, Pate said. "There is no reason why you can’t start walking," he said.

His book, which was published in May 2003, is based on his detailed training diary which people found interesting and funny.

Pate said he shares some of the humor in his presentations. When he went to pick out a bicycle, Pate said he was concerned that the tires were good enough to hold his weight. That wasn’t a problem, but the bike had a little bitty seat, he said.

When he started running in the neighborhood, Pate said he envisioned neighbors grabbing their children and putting them in the house because his breathing and pounding were so loud.

"I know people who are overweight have a lot of fears and low self-esteem, but they can’t care what other people think, they have to do this for themselves," Pate said. "They can take the first step out of the door.

"I took the first step and this is probably the best I have felt in my life," he said.