“Considered Suicide Plenty of Times”: Bodybuilder Confessed How Gym Saved His Life in 2017 Interview

A few years ago, Jay Pattinson wasn’t into bodybuilding. The young man from the United Kingdom fell prey to bad influences, ending up with an addiction to drugs. He even started peddling them. However, Jay realized his downward spiral after being arrested in a foreign country. With no family or friends to help him, Jay faced a two-year prison sentence in Belgium.

The police arrested Jay for carrying drugs to the Tomorrowland festival in Belgium. After spending 17 days in jail, before being released, Jay repented for his mistake, and a crippling depression took hold of him. However, Jay also realized he needed to turn his life around, and that was when he turned to bodybuilding. During an interview in 2017, Pattinson explained how bodybuilding saved his life.

Bodybuilding saved Jay Pattinson.

Jay hit rock bottom at one point. “I considered suicide plenty of times. I thought everyone was against me.” Jay told Mirror. Pattinson’s first steps toward changing his life began with joining Yoga. However, Pattinson had bigger ambitions, “I threw myself into fitness training, which is something I have always been good at, before deciding to have a go at competition.”, said Jay.

The drive to compete on the bodybuilding stage inspired Jay. Six months after deciding to compete, Jay entered the UK Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation Championships. While he wanted to perform well, he performed exceptionally and outdid his own expectations. Pattinson placed 2nd out of 38 people.

Pattinson fell in love with bodybuilding. “When I push myself I still wonder if I’m doing enough, and push myself even harder.”, said Pattison. Jay also said he woke up at five in the morning and reached the gym at around six. Jay’s goal was to get the most out of each workout.

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Jay went from contemplating ending his life to finding success on the bodybuilding stage. Pattinson credited working out with keeping his mind and body healthy. He said bodybuilding kept him from doing something silly. “Without it, I would have been lost.”

Pattinson’s mental health improved.

After placing second in his first show, Pattinson got more motivated, and his mental health improved. Jay said he gained a positive outlook. “Everyone says how well I’ve done,” said Jay. However, he felt he could improve further and achieve better things.

As of 2022, Jay is currently in Thailand. So far, he has nine second-place finishes. He also plans to compete again in December and stands determined to bag his first win.

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What do you make of Jay’s transformation?