Thomas Forbes is a Dublin man who suffered from anxiety, panic attacks and depression. He weighed 21 stone at the start of January 2016, but since then everything has begun to change.
“My whole life I was overweight. I was going through serious mental depression and I just couldn’t bear it any more.
“I was suffering from panic attacks every day and I saw no way out… I contemplated suicide many times.”
Thomas went to see McGregor fight Jose Aldo in December of 2015 and that’s when it all changed.
“How Conor McGregor held himself, how he spoke, his mental state and how he truly had that self-belief was something I took notes on… It was something that I watched deeply and started to say ‘well, if he can think like that, why can’t I?’”
There was one thing Conor said which was the thing that really stuck with Thomas.
“There’s one quote that completely stood out for me. He said, ‘at the end of the day you have to feel some way – so why not feel unstoppable? Why not feel unbeatable?'”
“I thought to myself, this fella is from a couple of miles down the road from me, we’re both from Dublin city we’re very alike… If he can change so many people’s lives, what can I do? If I can change one person’s life, I’ve already succeeded. The first person’s life I had to change though, was mine.”
Since January of 2016, Thomas has been working out between 5/6 times a week and eating clean is all he said. He didn’t need an expensive or eccentric gym plan when he first went, he just changed things up enough that he wouldn’t get bored.
To this date, Thomas has lost over 100lbs and counting, but losing the weight isn’t his top priority, inspiring people is.
Thomas is amazing and is the perfect face for groups such as Samaritans, Pieta House and Suicide or Survive. Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, don’t lock yourself away.
Talk to someone.