Overweight man becomes GB athlete after cancer scare

A painter and decorator went from washing down takeaways with several glasses of bourbon after 12-hour working days to competing for Great Britain as a super-fit triathlete, after a cancer scare changed his life.

An "exercise free zone" until he was diagnosed with the pre-cancerous condition Barrett's oesophagus - which affects the cells in the oesophagus - in 2011, at 5ft 7in and weighing 15st, Craig Lane, 41, of Hull, East Yorkshire, was unfit and extremely overweight.

Following his diagnosis he cut out the takeaways, got on his bike and lost five stone. Following the advice of a dietician, he started a healthy eating plan and joined a gym.

But it was spotting an advert for Spartan Race that gave him a taste for competition and eventually led him to become a member of team GB.

Craig left his job in 2018 and now helps coach other triathlete full-time, being named Yorkshire's best coach three times.