By Joel Ford
Andy Bedford knows a thing or two about being overweight.
Two years ago the 23-year-old weighed 104kg; now he is down to 74kg and was competing in his first Ironman competition in Taupo today.
Mr Bedford said he gained the extra kilograms while he was working in bars and clubs in Wellington.
A combination of drinking too much, always eating out and not exercising enough meant he was heavy - and low on energy.
However, when he moved back to Tauranga he decided enough was enough and a new lifestyle was born.
He started by eating better and stopped drinking. He also upped his exercise. Two years later he has competed in 10 triathlons and two marathons. Now he is taking on the ultimate in endurance events - the gruelling Ironman triathlon where competitors have to complete a 3.8km swim, 180km bike and a 42km run.
"It's a huge event in New Zealand. For most people it's not even about doing well - doing well is just finishing," he said.
Mr Bedford says his switch from an overweight beer guzzler to a finely tuned athlete was helped by the fact he came from an active family. That laid the foundations for an active lifestyle, he says.
Both his parents have run marathons and he played rugby at school.
"Having a family who were very involved in sport made my transition back a lot easier. They are all really proud of my turn-around," he said.
Mr Bedford thinks parents in today's world of video games, TV and fast food need to be increasingly vigilant about keeping their children active to stave off the threat of obesity.
"There are too many computers and PlayStations out there. You drive past McDonalds and there are whole families in there - it's disgusting. If you get kids active from an early age they are going to enjoy it and stay with it," he said.
Mr Bedford practises what he preaches. As well as being an event manager with Community Sport, he helps children get involved in cycling with Tauranga City Council's Kids Can Ride scheme. "Once they get involved, kids realise that they can have fun doing this sort of stuff," he said.
The Tauranga-born sportsman is hoping to complete the Taupo Ironman in under 11 hours - top competitors can complete ironman events in under eight hours.
Mr Bedford said he is unsure how his body will react to the strains of the event but said if all goes well, he will look to do more ironman events in the future.
He said he was a little bit nervous about competing but was both mentally and physically prepared.
Even though ironman is deemed a non-contact sport, Mr Bedford said with about 1500 people plunging into Lake Taupo for the start of the race, things could get a little rough. "You get punched in the head more times than in a game of rugby - it's carnage."
Andy's got his weight beaten - he's an ironman
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