When Adrian Oliver’s wife Debbie told him he looked like an overweight man on the telly it spurred him into action.

The 52-year-old, from Kemsley, was topping 20 stone when he was given the reality check.

“The wife saw something on TV and said ‘You look like him’ and I said ‘You’re joking’ because he looked gross,” said Adrian.

“It just kicked me up the backside and that’s when I started to lose weight, eating at sensible times, cutting my portions down and cutting Guinness out.”

That was about three years ago and now Adrian, who has two children and four grandchildren, is training for his first marathon after losing 7st.

He said: “I did night work for quite a few years and I ballooned. I also like some Guinness. It’s been a big life change. I’ve kept active, so much so that I’m now being told to slow down a bit.”

On Sunday, April 17, Adrian, a vehicle technician for truck, bus and coach dealership Scania, is to take part in the Brighton Marathon, raising funds for Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Trust.

He said: “It’s something I have always watched and thought I’d like to do that. It’s a very big challenge. I’ve never done anything like it.

“From my house to Scania in Maidstone is exactly 13 miles. I keep thinking if I run to Maidstone and back, that’s 26 miles, so it’s not that far.

“My target is to finish and it doesn’t matter if I run, walk or crawl, I’ll make it.”

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