Laurent's Story
Laurent went from feeling unfit and disconnected to regaining his strength, confidence, and joy in everyday life. His mantra – keep learning, keep moving, keep growing.
A Moment of Realisation
When Laurent began his journey, he wasn’t in a good place—physically or mentally.
It all started with a simple but powerful moment. “I was in someone’s bathroom, saw some scales, and decided to step on,” Laurent explains. “It read over 100 kilos, and I just thought—no. That’s it. Something has to change.”
Being over 100 kilos affected almost every part of his daily life. Activities he once loved—cycling, walking, running around with his children—had become difficult or impossible. As a parent and a teacher, it left him feeling frustrated and limited.
“I couldn’t join in with my kids or my pupils the way I wanted to,” he says. “It really affected my enjoyment of life. And mentally, I wasn’t doing well either. Life felt like something I was undergoing, rather than embracing.”
Taking Back Control
From that day, Laurent decided to take control. He contacted Jamie and began training at Thrive. The first few sessions were tough, especially the cardio, but he quickly began to see results. “Every time I weighed myself, the number was lower. And I thought—what if I keep going one more week? What could happen then?”
Those small wins built momentum. “Seeing the progress was incredibly motivating,” he says. “And Jamie’s approach really helped. He’d say, ‘We’re aiming for an 8 out of 10 effort,’ but that 8 kept increasing as I got stronger. I was always challenged, but never overwhelmed.”
Alongside the training, Laurent began educating himself on nutrition. “There’s so much conflicting information online,” he says. “Jamie helped me make sense of it all—what to listen to, what to ignore. Having that guidance kept me focused and confident I was on the right track.”
New Strength, New Life
A defining moment for Laurent came when he completed his first HYROX—just over a year after starting his training. “If you’d told me when I first began that I’d do HYROX in a year, I wouldn’t have believed you,” he says. “It was such a proud moment.”
That achievement opened the door to a new kind of life. “I went trekking with friends in the summer—sleeping in a tent by a lake at 3,000 metres. I never could’ve done that before. It completely changed how I experience life.”
Even in his everyday routines, the difference is profound. “As a teacher, I can take my students cycling, go hiking with my kids, and join in the fun again. I feel capable now.”
He smiles when talking about another, more personal change: “It’s also nice to look in the mirror and feel good about what I see—to buy clothes that fit well and actually like how they look. That’s a new kind of happiness I didn’t expect to find.”
For Laurent, the journey means more than fitness—it’s about ownership and growth. “It’s taught me that I can take the reins of my life and have a positive impact if I apply myself,” he says. “That I can be disciplined, make educated choices, and improve my life.”
