After 20 weeks of physical therapy for a hip pain, Martinus Evans visited an orthopedic specialist hoping for some answers.
“Mr. Evans, it’s because you’re fat and you need to start walking and losing weight.”
Although shocked and embarrassed, Martinus’ response was clear.
Screw walking, I’ll run a marathon.
His doctor said it was the stupidest thing he’s ever heard (#WhatTheHealthcare) but Martinus was determined to do what his doctor felt was the impossible.
Martinus left the doctor’s office, bought some running shoes and created his blog, 300 Pounds and Running.
Starting his blog wasn’t a hard decision, “When someone tells you no you have to prove them wrong.”
And prove him wrong he did. Martinus has ran numerous races the past couple of years.
He initially hoped to document his journey of eating right, losing weight and running a marathon. But over time, his blog evolved to a self-improvement blog as he realized weight loss journeys are much more than losing weight. They involve overcoming psychological barriers and leaning into the uncomfortable.
So he shares his journey in hopes of inspiring others to lean into the uncomfortable and to expand their comfort zone. He’s on a mission to motivate and challenge those who feel stuck and to help shift the mindset of losing weight to one of gaining health.
And although crossing the finish line is a rewarding feeling, it doesn’t compete with Martinus’ favorite part of his advocacy journey: meeting those he advocates for. Especially with the use of social media, he is able to reach and ‘meet’ individuals he normally wouldn’t have the chance to. He loves to hear of the positive impact his journey is making on others fighting the same fight.
Which is why he recently launched the 300 Pounds and Running Podcast, “to prove to people that they are not too ___ (fill in the blank) to start running.”
With this podcast, he’ll inspire others to crush their goals through sharing stories of fellow runners. Martinus shares “I will be interviewing a variety of runners but mainly from the back of the pack. These are not your average runners. Like myself, they are larger, slower and heck, they might even finish the race last. But when it’s all said and done, they finish it, and that’s what’s important.”
It’s Martinus’ hope that these stories will inspire others to get up and get moving!
He’ll continue to share his own experiences on the podcast as well, offering insights he has on health and running. His dream of inspiring those struggling with obesity to start running doesn’t seem far off with the inspiration this podcast has to offer!
So if you or someone you know has been holding back, too fearful to start running, be sure to give Martinus’ podcast a listen! Surely, you’ll be lacing up your sneakers in no time.
Visit his blog, 300 Pounds and Running, for more running tips, healthy recipes, meal plans, positive thinking, self-love and crushing goals!
Follow Martinus on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. His podcast can be found on: 300 Pounds and Running Blog, iTunes, Stitcher, Sound Cloud, Pocket Cast, and Google Play Music.
