Latest news with #OwenPeddle
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
From 150kg and unable to swim a length to a 70-mile triathlon
Nine months ago, Owen Peddle was 23.5 stone, unhappy with how he looked and unable to swim a full length of a pool. Determined to make a change, he was inspired by two friends and signed himself up for the Swansea Ironman 70.3, a half-distance version of the Ironman triathlon. What faced him was a 1.2-mile swim, followed by a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run, half-marathon distance, to finish. "The real win for me was getting myself to the start line," he said. "The actual event was the cherry on top." The race in Swansea arrived on 6 July, one of the hottest days of the year so far, and saw Mr Peddle cheered around the course by supporters shouting "Pedz" in 32C-heat. He finished in eight hours and 32 minutes. Mr Peddle, from Rogerstone, Newport, gained a huge social media following in the build up to the race as he shared his training on TikTok and Instagram, something he said helped keep him "on the straight and narrow". "I've never really trained this hard or applied myself to anything this much in my life," he said. The DJ and events manager was inspired by two of his closest friends completing a full-length Ironman in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, last September. "I was not happy with how I looked or who I was becoming, really" he said. "I just knew something needed to change." Mr Peddle, a former prop who quit rugby at 22, said he chose the event because it was a real challenge for him. "I couldn't do any of it to start," he said. "It's the most unnatural thing to swim, then bike, then run," he added. Even playing rugby from the age of 15, he had always "pretty heavy and pretty unfit". After he stopped training for rugby, his fitness levels dropped further. Trips to the gym yielded little result because he was not applying himself properly or enjoying himself. "I knew it was bad. I knew something had to change but it just didn't click until I saw that (Ironman) in Tenby." Working with his coach, he built up his strength and stamina gradually, losing four stone (25kg) over the course of his training. He started with 20-minute bike rides and 20-minute runs, alternating one minute running with three minutes of walking. "I was getting a bit anxious come Christmas time when I still hadn't run10km and biked over 40km and I hadn't swum the distance in one go," he said. But he put his faith in his coach and waited for the results to come. He was also conscious that he needed to be careful not to injure himself and was worried about his knees and hips in particular. "It was also about making sure I don't over-train. It was quite a delicate balance," he said. As the event approached, he was training close to 10 hours a week. Mr Peddle said the gradual reduction in weight as a result of his training had been much more sustainable than previous attempts to lose weight. "Slowly changing stuff for me worked really well," he said. "There's still a long way to go, but it's a nice start." In addition, it brought mental health benefits. "The mental clarity that comes with training 10 hours a week is brilliant," he said. Being confident he could complete the event at the start line was "the most important thing", he said. He felt "elated" crossing the finish line. "It was very emotional." "I'm definitely going to do something else like it again," he said. "In the future, not next year but in a couple of years, Tenby is on the list, so [is] the full Ironman," he said. Next year would be too soon, but "maybe 2027 or 2028", and he would also like to compete in the Ironman 70.3 event again, perhaps abroad. "I really do enjoy the training," he said. "I wouldn't want to go back to being the person I was, with no motivation and no drive." Man completes 70-mile hike carrying fridge-freezer Finding my love for roller derby changed my life The pioneering woman surfer in a sea of men
BBC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Newport man went from 23 stone to finishing Swansea Ironman 70.3
Nine months ago, Owen Peddle was 23.5 stone, unhappy with how he looked and unable to swim a full length of a pool. Determined to make a change, he was inspired by two friends and signed himself up for the Swansea Ironman 70.3, a half-distance version of the Ironman triathlon. What faced him was a 1.2-mile swim, followed by a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run, half-marathon distance, to finish. "The real win for me was getting myself to the start line," he said. "The actual event was the cherry on top." The race in Swansea arrived on 6 July, one of the hottest days of the year so far, and saw Mr Peddle cheered around the course by supporters shouting "Pedz" in 32C-heat. He finished in eight hours and 32 minutes. Mr Peddle, from Rogerstone, Newport, gained a huge social media following in the build up to the race as he shared his training on TikTok and Instagram, something he said helped keep him "on the straight and narrow". "I've never really trained this hard or applied myself to anything this much in my life," he DJ and events manager was inspired by two of his closest friends completing a full-length Ironman in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, last September."I was not happy with how I looked or who I was becoming, really" he said. "I just knew something needed to change." Mr Peddle, a former prop who quit rugby at 22, said he chose the event because it was a real challenge for him. "I couldn't do any of it to start," he said. "It's the most unnatural thing to swim, then bike, then run," he playing rugby from the age of 15, he had always "pretty heavy and pretty unfit".After he stopped training for rugby, his fitness levels dropped further. Trips to the gym yielded little result because he was not applying himself properly or enjoying himself."I knew it was bad. I knew something had to change but it just didn't click until I saw that (Ironman) in Tenby." Working with his coach, he built up his strength and stamina gradually, losing four stone (25kg) over the course of his started with 20-minute bike rides and 20-minute runs, alternating one minute running with three minutes of walking."I was getting a bit anxious come Christmas time when I still hadn't run10km and biked over 40km and I hadn't swum the distance in one go," he he put his faith in his coach and waited for the results to was also conscious that he needed to be careful not to injure himself and was worried about his knees and hips in particular."It was also about making sure I don't over-train. It was quite a delicate balance," he the event approached, he was training close to 10 hours a Peddle said the gradual reduction in weight as a result of his training had been much more sustainable than previous attempts to lose weight."Slowly changing stuff for me worked really well," he said. "There's still a long way to go, but it's a nice start."In addition, it brought mental health benefits."The mental clarity that comes with training 10 hours a week is brilliant," he said. Being confident he could complete the event at the start line was "the most important thing", he felt "elated" crossing the finish line. "It was very emotional.""I'm definitely going to do something else like it again," he said."In the future, not next year but in a couple of years, Tenby is on the list, so [is] the full Ironman," he year would be too soon, but "maybe 2027 or 2028", and he would also like to compete in the Ironman 70.3 event again, perhaps abroad."I really do enjoy the training," he said."I wouldn't want to go back to being the person I was, with no motivation and no drive."
Wales Online
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
'I used to weigh 23 stone. Now I'm an Ironman'
'I used to weigh 23 stone. Now I'm an Ironman' Owen 'Pedz' Peddle couldn't do a lot at all barely a year ago. He's just completed the Swansea Ironman 70.3 Owen Peddle, who was 23 stone less than a year ago and couldn't do a lot of exercise, has just finished the Swansea Ironman triathlon (Image: Owen Peddle/Instagram ) A man who was 23 stone and couldn't swim a length of a swimming pool a year ago has just completed the Swansea Ironman triathlon. 24-year-old Owen 'Pedz' Peddle has gained a huge following on social media during his journey to reach Sunday's gruelling event while many have told him they've been inspired to 'get off the sofa' because of him. Owen was roared on by a huge crowd beside Swansea beach as he crossed the finish line having completed the 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride and 13.1 mile run in the searing heat on Sunday. Owen, known affectionately as Pedz by his 31,000 followers on Instagram, said he couldn't stick at the gym barely a year ago and so decided to target something which he 'couldn't do'. 'To sign up for an Ironman when you can't swim a length is pretty extreme,' the DJ reflected. 'I just wanted to lose some weight to be honest.' Content cannot be displayed without consent The rugby fan from Newport has lost around 30 kilos in the process and would have lost a lot more if he didn't need to take on plenty of food to get him through 10-hour training weeks. Article continues below Remembering his life before last September when he was persuaded by his mates to give the event a go, Owen said: 'I was struggling in the gym really. I was struggling to keep the weight off. I'd stop the gym and then put it back on. 'I thought I'd sign up for something which back then I couldn't do. If I signed up for a half marathon or a 10k, theoretically I could just walk those. So I was like: 'Let's do something I can't do.' 'So when I first started I couldn't swim a length at all. I could barely sit on the bike. It wasn't even like I could run.' Owen Peddle finished the Swansea Ironman 70.3 on Sunday despite not being able to swim a length a year ago (Image: Owen Peddle/Instagram ) After he really got into training Owen enlisted the help of a nutritionist. 'I did it all quite slowly. I got used to the training first,' he recalled. 'I didn't want to change my training, my food, my sleep and everything in my life all at once. That is so restrictive and I'd have lost it. So I wanted to just start bit by bit. 'I had to take on plenty of carbs to do the nine to ten hours of training, so I lost the weight slower than I might have, but I'm happy with where I'm at now. 'I didn't do this to lose loads of weight and be skinny. I just wanted to do something I couldn't do. If I lost the weight along the way then great.' Content cannot be displayed without consent Owen said the training has helped him mentally too. 'You just start to learn a bit more resilience in everything you do. It's a nice starting place for my mental health. "I really think it has helped to just clear my mind - to spend time off my phone and spend nine or ten hours a week just training." On Sunday, Owen finished the course in eight hours and 32 minutes. He thanked his followers and said he's been blown away by those who have supported him and got him through much of his training. Article continues below 'So many people have supported me on this journey," he added. "There have been times where I wanted to stop but I couldn't do that knowing I'd have let everyone down on Instagram and TikTok. It's kept me in line a bit as well. 'I can't believe how far I've come really. The other day I was having a haircut and I couldn't look at my phone and I just sat there for like 30 minutes looking in the mirror and smiling to myself. "The last nine months of my life have been mental, actually mental. Dragging myself from where I started to where I am now has been a hell of a journey and I couldn't be prouder of where I am right now."
