Matthew Bickel, 45, weighed more than 38 stone after steadily gaining weight for a decade. At his heaviest, he could eat an entire pizza, six fizzy drinks and a large dessert in a single sitting. After being diagnosed with prediabetes, he decided to make a change. What followed was a dramatic transformation that saw him lose more than 18 stone and discover a passion for endurance sport. Now, he’s preparing for one of the toughest races on the planet.
I've been overweight for most of my life. Even when I played American football at Baylor University, I stood out as the biggest and strongest player on the team at around 25 stone (350lbs).
After I stopped playing, the weight continued to creep up. I gained roughly 1lb a month for the next 10 years. By the time I turned 30, I weighed 38 stone (532lbs).
Food was my constant. It was something I could always turn to when life got difficult. Looking back, that created a huge dependency and what I would now describe as food addiction.
At my heaviest, a typical meal looked more like Christmas dinner than an ordinary weekday meal. I ate enormous portions without giving any thought to nutrition. An entire pizza, six fizzy drinks and a large dessert – sometimes six cookies – wouldn't have been unusual.
The other reason for my weight gain was a lack of self-worth. I had a very poor self-image and it affected every area of my life. I used food to deal with my emotions, even though it was making everything worse. Physically, I was constantly dealing with back pain and had very little energy.
What to read next
‘I Thought I Was Going to Die’
My turning point came during one of those huge meals.
I suddenly felt disgusted with myself. I was tired of feeling awful and unhappy all the time. Around the same time, I was told I was prediabetic.
My heart felt like it was about to burst out of my chest. For the first time, I genuinely believed that if I didn't change, I was going to die.
So I started moving again.
Initially, that meant walking. Then hiking. I fell in love with being outdoors and spent time every day walking in the mountains. I also cut out sugary drinks completely and switched to water. At the same time, I learned how to cook healthier meals.
My friends played a huge role in helping me lose weight. They're some of the most inspiring people I know. They encouraged me constantly and made ambitious goals feel normal rather than impossible.
Eventually, I returned to the gym and discovered CrossFit. That introduced me to functional fitness, which then led me into cycling and running.
The first 7 stone (100lbs) came off surprisingly quickly – probably in less than six months.
‘I Can Wear Clothes I Actually Like’
Losing the next chunk of weight took much longer.
Since that initial drop, it's been a slow grind. Over the years, I've gained and lost weight depending on what was happening in my life, but today I'm lighter than I've been since I was 14 years old.
In total, I've lost 18 stone (252lbs) over the past 15 years.
One of the unexpected benefits is being able to wear clothes I actually like. Anyone who's been very overweight knows how frustrating it can be trying to find stylish clothes in larger sizes. It sounds trivial, but it genuinely makes a difference to how you feel about yourself.
‘I Want to Prove Anything Is Possible’
In August 2026, I'll be taking on the Life Time Leadville Trail 100.
I've completed ultramarathons before, but this is by far the biggest, toughest and most intimidating challenge I've ever attempted.
The race covers 100 miles of high-altitude terrain in Colorado, starting at more than 10,000ft above sea level and including over 12,500ft of climbing.
Every decision I make between now and race day is focused on crossing that finish line.
Over the past six months, I've lost another 30lbs (just over 2 stone) to get into the best shape possible for the event. My goal is to lose a further 30lbs before August.
I want to become the first person known to have weighed more than 38 stone and go on to complete this race.
More than anything, I want to show people that almost anything is possible.
Today, my training revolves around ultra-endurance preparation. I train between 15 and 20 hours per week, combining running, hiking, stair climbing, speed work and long Zone 2 cardio sessions. I've already completed several major endurance challenges, including three HYROX events in 36 hours.
The biggest lesson I've learned through this journey is that you have to learn to love yourself.
That's incredibly difficult when you're severely overweight, but self-respect gives you a reason to keep moving forward.
Losing more than 18 stone has taught me something I never believed when I was 38 stone.
I can do hard things.
I am unbreakable.
If there’s one thing Kori Sampson knows, it’s how to optimise your body composition for performance. To tap into his knowledge as an elite athlete and coach, we asked him to create a 4-week plan to help you move faster, recover quicker and keep pushing when the fatigue sets in – all while improving your muscle-to-fat ratio.
Ready to build muscle, burn fat and come out the other side looking, feeling and performing better? Click here to get 14 days of free access to the plan via the Men’s Health app.
