From 150kg to Ironman triathlete: Darren Ho's weight loss & fitness journey
How one man overhauled his physical and mental health with weight loss exercises like running, cycling, swimming, and shedloads of determination
Text: Tiff H
Transformation stories are always inspirational, but Darren Ho’s is way up there. Not only did he receive a late diagnosis of high functioning Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD) and Tourette’s Syndrome aged 34, he also battled with being overweight. Due to poor physical and mental health, focusing on weight loss and fitness and becoming a dedicated Ironman athlete was the last thing on his mind.
In 2012, aged 30, Darren weighed 150kg. At 1.76m tall, his BMI was 48.4 causing his liver to fail from the excess weight he was carrying. It wasn’t until a year later when his uncle passed away from similar circumstances that he decided to kickstart his own journey by overhauling his exercise routine, changing up his diet, and facing his disabilities.
Today, he has competed in five full distance triathlons and runs to raise awareness and funds for The Disabled People’s Association as well as Community Chest. We speak to Darren about how he made his incredible and inspiring transformation.
Starting to get fit can be tough. How did you garner motivation?
My weightloss and fitness journey started off with a run. A grand total of 100m on a running track near my house. I remember going 100 metres and having to stop and throw up. I chose to run because it had the lowest barrier of entry; I had a pair of sneakers and I thought it would be easy to get started. It’s easy to play the victim and say “it’s too difficult” or something is “too hard” but we all have to start somewhere. I guess the harder it got, the more I embraced the challenge and pushed myself to become better.
How did you change to your weight loss diet plan?
I cut out fast food, sugary drinks, and reduced my meals from five times a day to three times a day. I switched up to eating more fruits and vegetables and eventually cut out as much processed food as possible. Subsequently, I started cutting out meat from my diet and have been a vegetarian since 2019. From 2012 until 2016, I lost 75kg.
Tell us about your first Ironman...
In 2016, I embarked on an ambitious desire to complete every triathlon race distance after having been cleared by my doctor. Within the same year, I completed my first ever Ironman and in 2017 and did two full distance triathlons back-to-back — an Ironman in Zurich, Switzerland, followed by competing as the only Asian in the Ironstar race in Sochi, Russia. In 2019, I qualified for the ITU World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland, representing Singapore in the world cup of triathlon events.
Did your disabilities make it more challenging for to reach your goals?
For a long time, finding my focus was close to impossible due to my high functioning Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD) and Tourette’s Syndrome, but triathlons and my weight loss and fitness journey somehow served as the perfect remedy. Maybe it is the intensity of the sport and the training required? I will never know, but I will never question or doubt the wonders of this entire journey and what it has done for me.
What are your tips for those thinking about doing Ironman?
For someone who has never done long form endurance before, set aside a good 6–8 months before attempting your first full distance Ironman race; consisting of a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bicycle ride and a marathon 26.22-mile (42.20 km) run, raced in that order. This gives the body ample time to adapt to prevent injuries.
Find friends who enjoy each aspect of the sport, or better still, those who are also training and can bring some fun into your routine! Completing an Ironman or ultra-endurance races requires patience and the will to smile when the pain is too much. Don’t pressure yourself to keep going fast until your body has reached a certain level of adaptation to the training and the stresses of the training. Importantly, enjoy the process. The changes and improvements take years, not days or months.
What does your Ironman training entail today?
I have a full-time job but I train 3-4 times a day starting at around 4am. I usually start with a run (16-25km) in the morning, then a swim or bikeride in the afternoon, followed by tennis, a swim or bike ride in the evening. Twice a week I’ll also hit the gym. I train approximately 24-28 hours a week and peak at 30 hours during race season. I currently weigh in at 74kg and my BMI is 23.6.
What’s your favourite part of Ironman?
Cycling, because that was the one thing I could do when I was heavy. Running was very painful for my knees until I lost weight. I didn’t learn to swim as a child so had to learn that from scratch in 2016 when I was 34 years old.
How often do you compete now?
As an ultra-endurance athlete, I regularly compete in multi-distance triathlons around the world, raising awareness about disabilities along the way. My hope is to break down barriers and to remove the stigma about disabilities so that others do not have to suffer in silence and live with a fear of rejection. I currently run to raise awareness and funds for The Disabled People’s Association as well as Community Chest.
Where can we find more details about Ironman in Singapore?
Log onto the Ironman website. I’d also recommend getting a certified triathlon coach such as Arthur Tong or Richard Farren to help you along the way as they know what to look out for and will structure your training plan for you.
To find out more about Darren’s journey and the work he does as an ultra-endurance athlete log onto his website https://journeyonward.home.blog and follow him @gritmettle on Instagram.
