FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Indiana's NewsCenter) - After losing half his body weight, a local school bus driver is driven to pursue a life-long dream of joining the Allen County Sheriff's Department.
For 44-year-old Mark Elrod, being obese was a daily challenge. "Rolling over in bed is a chore. Getting out of bed is a chore. Bending over to tie your shoe is a chore."
More than two decades ago, Elrod worked for the Allen County Sheriff's Department ... until his weight forced him to quit.
"You lose hope in becoming a police officer, because you can't do the job because you're too heavy," he says. "I couldn't even fit behind the wheel of a squad car with as big as I got."
A bag of potato chips every night and two 2-liters of Coca-Cola helped Elrod's weight sky-rocket to 400 pounds. He was wearing a size 56 jeans and struggling to do even the simplest of tasks.
After leaving the Sheriff's Department, Elrod became a school bus driver for Fort Wayne Community Schools. He says he was still only able to fit in some of the buses due to his size.
After seeing his mother suffer a diabetic seizure, and being borderline diabetic himself, he knew he had to turn his life around. Elrod underwent gastric bypass surgery at Lutheran hospital.
He says it's thanks to the weight management program at Lutheran and the help of some great doctors that the procedure has been so successful for him. A friend at Absolute Fitness continues to help with his weight training for free. Today, nearly two years after surgery, he's down to 200 pounds and wears size 34 jeans.
"Having the surgery, controlled eating, and exercise equals huge results, and I'm living proof of that," says Elrod.
And that propelled him to join 650 other men and women applying for the Allen County Sheriff's Department this year.
Allen County Sheriff Ken Fries remembers the day Elrod approached him about joining the force. "I see him at the Y all the time, and he asked me for the opportunity to put in for the department. I first of all told him I wouldn't deny anyone the opportunity to put in for it, and he thanked me for giving him the opportunity. I said, 'Mark, you gave yourself the opportunity. I didn't. And he did."
Elrod remembers too. "The more I think about that, the more Sheriff Fries is right. I gave myself the chance. Sheriff Fries said it was okay, but I'm the one that gave myself a chance to do the things I'm doing and one of them is to pursue my goal of being a cop."
But Elrod, a little rusty at test taking and dyslexic as well, didn't pass the written portion of the application process. But his never-give-up attitude pushed him to still compete in the physical test this Saturday. That includes sit-ups, push-ups, and a one and a half mile run.
"Mark has pushed himself to get him, and I'm willing to let him to come and take the test on Saturday, though he knows he didn't pass the written part and he'll have to test again in two years," says Fries. "And if he still wants to do it in two years, I'm sure we'll see him again."
"Two years I'll be right back there applying," says Elrod. "If I have to get a tutor or something to help me out, and figure some stuff out, I'm going right back and doing it again."
But for now, Mark is feeling pretty good about where he's at in life.
"I just love it. I love the way I look now. I love the way I feel. I'm doing things now that I've never been able to do in a long time."
And that includes his biggest accomplishment so far - getting out on the field to play a rugby game with the Fort Wayne Rugby Club.
The next goal on Elrod's list is to tackle obesity one person at a time. He hopes to start up programs for people of all ages that will encourage them to be more active in their own lives.
Just as Mark shows others through his actions, if you believe in yourself... no goal is out of reach.
What are your thoughts CLICK HERE to leave us a "Your2Cents” comment.
TextCaster alerts from Indiana's NewsCenter are your defining source for instant information delivered right to your cell phone and email. It's free, easy and instant. Sign-Up Now!
Powered by Summit City Chevrolet
© Copyright 2012 A Granite Broadcasting Station. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Textcaster
Facebook
Twitter