Man dubbed ‘the fattest lad in school’ beat his bullying hell to model in Vogue… and now he could be Mr England
Sam Perkins will compete at Mr. England this weekend after shedding five stone and losing 12" off his waist
SAM Perkins overcame childhood obesity to model in Vogue - and now has his sights set on becoming the new Mr England.
The 26-year-old has shed five stone since leaving school in Loughborough, where he was mercilessly teased for being overweight and gay.
This weekend he'll compete at the Mr England final in Birmingham - but after being "morbidly obese" for most of his life, he's used to being stared at.
He said: "I was the fattest lad in school.
"I was only child in school that couldn't fit into a school uniform no matter how elasticated the waists were and I would always stick out like a sore thumb when it came to end of year photos. I was an outcast.
"From the age of five my weight was an issue, and I was referred to a dietician by my GP.
"I grew up three doors away from a fish and chip shop, and I was definitely one of their favourite - and most loyal customers.
"When I hit 15 stone I stopped weighing myself, but I didn't stop gaining weight. I had a 42" waist and I was always called names by other people at school, 'fat' and 'gay'.
"Hearing homophobic comments from my extended family and closest friends was hard to deal with - and it meant I sought comfort in food.
"I knew I was different my whole life, and I struggled to 'fit in', both physically and mentally."
Sam's life was set to change in 2015 when a stranger asked him if he had ever done any modelling - spurring him on to take his health seriously and cut out junk and takeaways.
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Fast forward two years and he's shed a third of his body weight, and his turns on the catwalk in Paris and London this year got him featured in style bible Vogue.
He said: "That single comment gave the motivation and desire I needed to really take my health seriously, so I got myself down the gym, I changed my eating habits and I stopped feeling sorry for myself.
"I’ve gone from 15-and-a-half stone with a 42 inch waist to 10.1 stone with a 30 inch waist.
"I have achieved things that I never thought I would be able to.
"Walking in London and Paris fashion weeks, being featured on Vogue and becoming the face for a local gym.
"So when I was scouted for Mr England this year, I thought ‘I’ve got nothing to lose’."
However, despite his excitement for his latest milestone, Sam does have some reservations about Saturday's grand final.
He said: "I am concerned that everyone else in the competition is very muscular and I’m not.
"I'm up against some beautiful boys, fitness models and personal trainers.
"But although I've still got a way to go, I want to inspire other people to never give up on their dreams."
Today we told you that scientists have revealed plans for a tablet to help stop binge eating.