Heavyweight hope Lawrence Okolie is going for gold in Rio – but he used to be a fatty addicted to donuts and ice cream !
The East Ender learned to fight after fight after doctors labelled him obese in his teens.
Now 23, he heads to Brazil as one of Britain’s best hopes for a medal.
Okolie said: “I loved donuts and ice cream. I was always sneaking into the kitchen for more food when mum wasn’t looking. That was me, that was what I did.
“I was weighing 120kgs and when I went to the doctors he told me I was obese and that I needed to lose weight.
“I was looking for a sport to take up and one of my friends said: ‘Why don’t you try boxing ?’ I fell in love with it. It stopped being about trying to lose weight. I wanted to fight.”
He’s made fast progress – qualifying for Rio after just 24 amateur bouts – and says Anthony Joshua told him to follow his Olympic dream.
“I was thinking about turning pro a year or so ago because I didn’t think I would get to the Olympics,” said Okolie.
“But Josh said I would be better off trying to get into the Great Britain team.
“I got an assessment and got in the team. That was last October and I qualified for the Olympics in April.
“I’m progressing at a good rate. Win or lose, I’ve been learning and by the time I get to the Olympics, with all the hard work I’m putting in, I’ve got a chance of going all the way.
“Everyone at the Olympics is going to be a threat. I’m worried about all of them. They know they are going to be boxing the best in the world and will push themselves. I expect every fight to be a tough, life-and-death fight.”