Who is Dominic Camponi?

Dominic Camponi, a father who once weighed 22 stone (140 kgs),  will run the London Marathon on Sunday after losing more than half his body weight in just 18 months. Camponi used to struggle to walk up the stairs without getting out of breath, but after a remarkable transformation, he will complete the capital’s iconic 26.2-mile run.

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Who is Dominic Camponi?

Dominic Camponi is a teaching assistant who lives in Liversedge, West Yorkshire, England. He is 38 years old. 

The teaching assistant, who used to wear 4XL clothes but now wears a slimline medium, feared he would not see his six-year-old son Henry grow up because his size was exacerbating his lung condition.

And he was inspired to make a change after watching an interview with former rugby player Rob Burrow about his courageous battle with Motor Neurone Disease. Camponi joined Weight Watchers, began eating healthier, and began running every day.

Within 18 months, he was down to 11st (70kg), which is half the weight he was at the beginning of his transition, and was jogging about 40 miles each week.

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Prior to losing weight, Camponi claims he had to use his inhaler frequently and had trouble performing simple daily tasks like climbing stairs. But what truly drove his change in lifestyle was his concern that he might not live to see his son grow up. You’re more prone to experience symptoms and asthma episodes if you’re overweight, he says, adding that asthma can be fatal.

Camponi began his lifestyle transformation by jogging a mile every day. Over time, he increased the distance and eventually was able to run every day for 500 days.

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To celebrate this accomplishment, Camponi ran a virtual marathon of 26.2 miles on May 14, 2021, covering it in just 3 hours 46 minutes, or an average of 8 minutes, 38 seconds per mile. This weekend’s marathon will be a fundraiser for Camponi’s charity, Asthma and Lung UK, which supports individuals with the condition via research, care, and support.