Physical fitness has always been such a big part of Tom James’ life. As a rugby player, he was superbly conditioned, as befits someone with an athletics background. It helped him become Cardiff Blues’ all-time top try-scorer, while also winning 12 caps on the wing for Wales.
Then, when he hung up his boots, he opted to move into the world of fitness, working as a personal trainer. As such, the situation he found himself in just over a year ago was hard to deal with. Due to the medication he was on for his mental health issues and the inactivity resulting from Covid lockdown, his weight ballooned up to 21st 5lbs by January 2021. For someone who had been 16 stone of muscle during his playing days, it was a testing time.
But just as he had tackled the crippling depression which he’d suffered with for the best part of a decade, so he faced up to his latest challenge. You can read more about his brave battle with depression here.
Now he has come out the other side. He is down to 17 stone, back in love with training and enjoying life with his family. Moreover, his business is now booming. He’s just opened a gym in Porth - TJ11 Fitness - and he’s got a host of customers, both for one-to-one and group sessions. All in all, life is good.
It was in May 2020 that James announced his retirement from playing, having spent a season with the Scarlets after two spells at the Arms Park, either side of a stint with Exeter. That exit coincided with the imposition of tight restrictions due to the Covid pandemic.
“It’s always tough retiring as a player anyway, but I retired just at the beginning of lockdown,” he said. “That didn’t help. It was hard retiring and lockdown was a big factor as well. It all hit me at once then.”
As a result, his medication was upped and, with it, so the read-out on the bathroom scales increased.
“The treatment has helped me. However, it hasn’t come without its drawbacks, Every time I upped the dose, I would put a stone on straight away. With lockdown, you had everyone working from home, but obviously I couldn’t train anyone then. So I was just more or less stuck in the house.
“I always loved running and I loved my weights. I went from doing that every day with rugby and then more or less stopped because you couldn’t go to any gyms. We used to go for a walk with the kids at the beginning, but the weight just started going up and up and up. It was really hard. I had to buy a new wardrobe.
“I went to see the doctor and he said ‘What would you want, a happy mind or to lose weight?’ I said ‘To be right’. It was a tough six months.”
But as Covid restrictions were partially lifted, so James’ situation improved.
“When they eased the rules a bit and said you could do a few more things, I started training back down my friend’s gym. That made a hell of a difference. Getting back out the house again and training really helped," he said.
“I got in a good place and was able to reduce the medication. As soon as I downed the one dose, I lost two stone within a couple of months. I downed it again then about six months ago and the weight has just dropped off me. I’m back to my fighting weight now.
“I’m on my normal dose, I’m back in love with training, spending more time with the family and happy the way I am. The medication helps me and talking on a regular basis helps, plus the training.
"What I say to people is with a positive mindset you will get through anything. Reach out to family, friends, work colleagues, neighbours. A chat could make a difference. Don’t let things build up, even if it’s something little. Get it off your chest.”
What has also helped James over the past year is focusing on his new gym, which he has set up in a building in Williams Place, near Porth police station.
“I have more or less gutted the whole place out. We’ve had builders back and forth because of Covid, so it’s been difficult. It’s taken me a year to do, but it’s finally finished, so I can crack on with it now. It’s been up and running for about four weeks," he revealed.
“Everyone got a bit excited and thought I was opening a public gym. But it’s for my personal training and the classes I am running. To do a good group session, I have up to about 20 people in there. We’ve got classes on a Tuesday evening and on Saturday morning. Then, from next month, I am starting a women’s only class because I have had so many messages, asking if I was going to do one. The women have spoken, so I’m going to do one starting a week on Friday.
“I have had a few sports teams in touch and I am obviously doing the individual sessions as well. The next step is I am going to advertise for personal trainers, working for me, so we can have more people in. I am loving it. That’s the main thing. The last year of doing this building has kept the mind busy.”
Aside from his business, James is an ambassador for Mind and is heavily involved in fund-raising. A charity rugby match which he was a driving force behind brought in about £11,000 for Cwm Taf Morgannwg Mind, while his next venture will be in aid of Velindre. It all gives him plenty to look forward to.
At 34, he is in good shape again and life is on the up.
