Paul Kilgallon: Episode 27

The Breifne Earley Show

This week Breifne Earley was joined by Paul Kilgallon, an overweight guy who went through a personal transformation from 21 stone (295 lbs / 133 kg) to 12 stone and a professional journey which has led to him opening his own fitness business, Fit Kicks, a new gym in Mohill, Co. Leitrim. He talks about not being too unfit to catch his 2 year old child when playing and realising that he needed to improve his fitness and starting by walking, leading to jogging before an opportunity of a Community Employment Scheme with Leitrim Sports Partnership saw him get more involved with the fitness world. Paul talks about his experience of being overweight, a regular gambler who enjoyed the occasional pint of Baileys, and how these problems came to a head when an innocent neighbour was killed during a driveby shooting involving Dublin drug kingpins and himself and Martina, his now wife, moved to the north west to create a more suitable home for their young family. Losing his betting shop assistant manager job in 2009 while Martina was expecting their first child, left him in a scary situation not knowing where his next pay cheque was coming from. Dealing with the problems of unemployment, being overweight and the all too easy access to gambling all led to a bout with depression and generally being unhappy. Looking back from his current situation of owning a double unit fitness suite in Mohill, Co. Leitrim, he credits the employment scheme with giving him the encouragement, experience and enthusiasm to forge ahead with his own company at the end of the three year scheme with the Local Sports Partnership.