A dad said he feared he wouldn't live long enough to see his sons grow up if he didn't lose weight. Rob Hinton has now shed five stone in a bid to help him live a long and healthy life.
The 42-year-old lost the weight training for a charity boxing match with his son Jack Hinton, 20. Not only did it transform his body, but it made the pair feel 'closer than ever'.
The father and son, who live in Heywood, signed up to Ultra White Collar Boxing (UWCB), which gives participants the opportunity to take part in eight weeks of free professional boxing training before a showcase event in front of hundreds of spectators.
Weighing 20 stone when he first began preparing for his moment in the ring, Rob worried that he 'could be dead' in ten years, but now 'feels fitter than he did 10 years ago'.
The photographic surveyor said: "I wanted to show Jack more than anything what dedication was. I’ve never done anything like this before, and I asked him to do the boxing with me.
"I said, 'I'll do it with you', put the pizza I was eating down, grabbed the harness for the dog and went and walked two miles. That was my starting point."
Rob signed up alongside Jack, an apprentice engineer, to take part in UWCB. This allowed the pair to raise money for Cancer Research UK by training and putting their newly-acquired boxing skills to the test.
He said: "We both trained at Salford Striking Academy in Salford - eight weeks training with Ultra."
Reflecting on his first time training with Ultra, Rob said: "It was nerve-racking. I was 6’3" and 20 stone walking through the door. I was worried I’d be paired with someone who was massive.
"The guys that took the training were really good, they certainly knew their stuff. They didn’t rush through anything. It was really good, I enjoyed it.
"What was really good was we had trainers Mark and Charlie Skeer, who were father and son as well, so they understood that relationship, the competitiveness - who could do the most sit-ups, who could stay in the plank position for longest."
Rob's weight loss journey
Rob was motivated to lose weight so he would be around for longer to spend time with both his sons - Jack, and younger son Daniel, 11. The father of two dropped four and a half stone and took to the ring at 15 stone 9lbs. He said: "Honestly, it felt like a necessity. One of the things that really sparked it was me and Jack messing around in the summer - we were playing football or cricket.
"He said 'in ten years’ time you’ll be doing this with Daniel', but I thought to myself, 'you’ll be dead'. I needed to do something. "The change was 95 per cent down to my diet, but we trained every day.
"I couldn’t skip, so I've learnt how to do that. In terms of the techniques of boxing, I was starting from scratch. But I really enjoyed it.
"As a father and son activity, it's brought us closer than ever. I feel fitter than I did 10 years ago."
After completing their training, Rob and Jack took to the ring at Bowlers Exhibition Centre on December 17 and were cheered on by around 70 friends and family members.
Although neither Rob or Jack won their matches, Rob says he 'already feels like I've won'. He said: "Jack fought before me and I was more interested in how he did, but in a way, I’d already won - I can’t explain the feeling. We were closer than we’d ever been, so it didn’t matter. The result was neither here nor there."
Rob, who is married to 38 year old Caroline, walked out to 'Angel', a hit in 2000 for reggae rapper Shaggy. Rob added: "I do a Shaggy impersonation on karaoke. I knew it would help with the nerves as I’ve performed as him in front of thousands."
Those taking part in UWCB are asked to sell tickets for the show and raise at least £50 for Cancer Research UK.
So far, Ultra Events - the company behind UWCB - has raised a staggering £27 million for the charity. The Hintons raised about £650 for the charity, a cause close to their hearts as Rob's father John, now aged 68, fought a battle with prostate cancer in 2019.
Rob added: "I know my dad doesn’t look at it like he’d been through anything, but it meant a lot doing this with my son raising money for people like my dad. My mother-in-law fought breast cancer as well. I'm so grateful to the people who have saved the lives of my loved ones."
The next Ultra White Collar Boxing event takes place in Manchester on March 1 and training starts in the week commencing February 6. Anyone thinking of signing up can visit: ultrawhitecollarboxing.co.uk/locations/manchester.
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