I worried my boys would grow up without a father

Dad Rob Hinton weighed 20-stone and knew he had to box clever and adapt a healthier lifestyle, writes Paige Oldfield

- Paige Oldfield

A DAD feared said he wouldn't live long enough to see his sons grow up if he didn't lose weight.

Rob Hinton has now shed five stone in a bid to help him live a long and healthy life.

The 42-year-old lost the weight training for a charity boxing match with his son Jack Hinton, 20. Not only did it transform his body, but it made the pair feel 'closer than ever!

The father and son, who live in Heywood, signed up to Ultra White Collar Boxing (UWCB), which gives participants the opportunity to take part in eight weeks of free professional boxing training before a showcase event in front of hundreds of spectators.

Weighing 20 stone when he first began preparing for his moment in the ring, Rob worried that he 'could be dead' in ten years, but now 'feels fitter than he did 10 years ago!

The photographic surveyor said: "I wanted to show Jack more than anything what dedication was. I've never done anything like this before, and I asked him to do the boxing with me.

"I said, 'I'll do it with you, put the pizza I was eating down, grabbed the harness for the dog and went and walked two miles. That was my starting point."