Dundee man Jason Paul has transformed his mental and physical health – even living in a gym to help get his life back on track.
He won his first professional bare knuckle fight in Manchester recently – after only a year of training.
And has made it his mission to bring a title belt home to Dundee.
The win marks a turning point in Jason’s life as he tries to put his troubled past behind him.
And after conquering his addiction to prescription medication, losing three stone and getting fit enough to compete, he’s using his story to inspire others struggling with mental health.
Jason, 33, said: “I’d never boxed in my life and this is my first time doing anything like this – I couldn’t walk up the stairs before.
“Now I’m in a professional boxing association.
“At one point I was in Carseview, homeless, struggling with my mental health and on so many prescription pills.
“I was 16 stone 7 now I’m 13 stone, I’ve stopped smoking, have started eating better. Boxing has been the making of me.”
Jason was at rock bottom when he watched a documentary on television about bare knuckle boxing which inspired him to contact trainer Sean Smith from Liverpool.
“I was just not long out of Carseview – at that point I’d lost my scaffolding business, family, van, everything. I didn’t have 10 pence in my pocket.
“I knew I had to do something and for some strange reason when I watched the documentary I picked up the phone.
“I contacted Sean and said ‘any chance I can live with you? I’ve lost everything and I want to build my life back up again.’
“He and his wife Amanda along with all the boys at his gym welcomed me and I started training with him.
“I was living in the gym as I’d nowhere else to go, training every day for months.
“It made me realise the power of exercise on mental health.
“I gave 120% every day – some days I threw up because the training was hard going.
“Learning to keep calm and focus in the ring has taught me so much and made a massive impact on my life.
“It’s taught me my trigger points, how to be in control of my body and mind and patience.
“And it’s made me realise what doing exercise – whether it’s boxing or going for a walk – can do for your mental health.”
The months of training paid off when Jason won his first professional Ultimate BKB fight.
“It felt unbelievable when I won, a bit surreal.
“Now I want to take a belt and bring it back to Dundee to show others what they can do if they put their mind to something.
“I’m also hoping local businesses will sponsor me now I’m a professional.
Thank you for your help
“I’d like to thank everyone who helped me – Sean and Amanda as well as Jackie Mills and Scott Malone in Dundee and my coach Joel Smith.
“One day I’d love to have my own gym and be able to help people like I’ve been helped.
“I’ve started a podcast where I talk about the issues I’ve come up against and have also got another project planned to help people with their mental health.
“But for now, even if one person reads this and tries to do the something to help themselves, that would be amazing. “
