One pedal at a time

Kansas man begins cross-country training at Plano charity ride

By Kelley Chambers, kchambers@acnpapers.com

Three years ago, Jerome Biggars weighed 493 pounds. Today, he is 300 pounds lighter and training to pedal across America.

His mission -- to eradicate child obesity and show he is living proof that anyone can lead a healthy lifestyle.

"The key to success is six inches long from temple to temple -- it's all in your mind," said Biggars, 48. "If at 500 pounds I can get healthy then anybody can."

The Wichita, Kan., resident pedaled the 62-mile stretch of yesterday's Wish 100 Bicycle Rally in Plano, marking his first of 40 charity cycling events he will participate in as training for his bike ride across the country in 2013. All of his charity rides will raise money to help fight childhood obesity.

Born premature, Biggars has a pattern for overcoming the odds. By the time he was 20 he weighed 280 pounds. As the years passed, his lifestyle went unchanged and his health suffered -- high blood pressure and high cholesterol followed him everywhere. At night, he said, his sleep apnea turned him into Darth Vader. His legs suffered from poor circulation and were so swollen that if he nicked them he would have to go to hospital to get them to heal. Biggars was even showing the early signs of kidney and liver issues.

One of Biggars' more favorite stories to share from his obese days describes his shopping routine, in which he would have to find a cart upon parking so he could have something to lean on.

"I would find places to stop to act like I was checking my list when I was actually resting," Biggars said. "By the end of it I was dripping in sweat. I was on a fast track to the grave."

Biggars realized the dire need for change in 2008 upon watching his oldest son graduate from high school. While listening to his son give the valedictorian speech, he realized he needed to lose weight not only for himself, but for his entire family.

"In his speech he mentioned how his mom had driven him to be the best he could be and that made me think, 'OK, what part did I have to do with anything?'" Biggars said. "I never went to any parent/teacher conferences because I couldn't stand to wait in line or take the stairs. I had missed out on a lot of things during his childhood and that made me think that I needed to do something."

Biggars had tried all the fad diets but finally found a perfect fit when a friend introduced him to Medi-Weightloss, a doctor-supported weight loss program that Biggars said allowed him to live a normal life eating normal food and providing him with the support he needed to succeed and maintain. Like a contestant on "The Biggest Loser," Biggars benefited from facing weekly weigh-ins and explaining his gains or losses for the past seven days, encouraging accountability on his part.

"It helps you keep focused and in line with what you're doing," said Biggars, who is now a counselor and poster child for Medi-Weightloss Clinics. "I was very determined. I knew what I needed to do, it's just a matter of doing it."

Integrating exercise into his life was a bit of a challenge, but one Biggars was determined to integrate. He began running and lifting weights at first but became attracted to cycling after the former activities started to take a toll on his knees. With 300 pounds behind him, Biggars' ultimate goal now is biking across America. The journey will consist of roughly 100 miles per day, six days per week for about a month and a half -- a milestone to compliment his 50th birthday.

"I'm very excited," he said. "I can do anything I put my mind to."

Biggars has shared his story of triumph on the "Rachel Ray Show" and the "Today Show," and has also met "Biggest Loser" trainer Jillian Michaels. With 70 percent of the American population being overweight, Biggars said he did not want to be a statistic and is now committed to spreading the word about defeating the obesity epidemic, particularly among children.

Biggars is also active in providing support to people going through the same transformations he underwent through social networking. For information on Jerome's story, visit his blog at www.feelinglighter.wordpress.com.

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