A 22-year-old man from Cornwall who may just have five years to live has transformed his body while battling a malignant brain tumour.
Ollie Jowett, from St Austell, now has a physique which could be compared to body builder’s after he embarked on a 12-week fitness programme which involved intense exercise and strict dieting, all while battling brain cancer.
He managed to lose 10kg and build up muscle even though his health was sometimes so bad, he couldn’t walk up stairs.
Ollie initially wanted to find work as a personal trainer in his hometown, however he left his life in Cornwall behind after he was offered a job in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
His life was turned upside-down just a few months after moving when he was diagnosed with brain cancer, Cornwall Live reports.
Ollie said: “It was a bit of a shock to say the least. “There’s only so much crying you can do. I was 100% from the get go that I would turn a negative to a positive. Life does not stop. I don’t feel sorry for myself because everyone has problems they have to deal with.”
“As a personal trainer I know how hard it is for people to lose weight and the excuses people come up with – the lack of motivation, the lack of time, the lack of willpower.
“I wanted to use my illness to inspire people as well as get myself in the best shape of my life.”
Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy “aren’t really options” according to Ollie, because “they are just so risky”.
While he is pleased to have improved his body, Ollie says the most important benefits of the fitness regime is he has now stronger “mentally, physically and emotionally”.
