A man weighing 41 stone who was unable to leave the house for six years is walking one million steps to get fit and raise money for charity.
Conor Steptoe was crippled by an anxiety so severe that he felt physically sick at the thought of going outside.
The 24-year-old from Margate, Kent, was battling a food addiction that, at its worst, would see him consume 5,000 calories a day.
But the unexpected death of his cousin gave Conor new perspective and made him realise that his weight had become a life-threatening problem.
Now, he is three weeks into a huge challenge, which will see him walk one million steps in three months – no mean feat for someone who once struggled to move from the living room to the kitchen.
With the support of his mother and the ‘Man V Fat’ football group, Conor has already lost three stone and raised £540 for mental health charity Mind.
Conor said that even though his old diet included healthy foods like fruit and vegetables, it was the sheer amount he ate that caused him to gain weight.
He explained: ‘I would eat whatever I could whenever I wanted if I was hungry. I’d have takeaways or home-cooked meals and would find it hard to stop eating.
Conor Steptoe (pictured) has embarked upon a walking challenge that will see him take one million steps in three months
‘I never used to count calories until I started this journey. I’m hoping to get to between 18 to 20 stone by the end of the journey.
‘I was given the challenge of reducing my calories to no more than 1,800 a day, which is quite difficult for someone like me who has an obsession and addiction to food.
‘I have good days when I eat below my target, but some days, I reach the max and still feel like I could eat more.
‘I’d heard about Man V Fat before and then saw it online. It’s really given me discipline, and by playing football once a week, I have a community of like-minded people who all want to lose weight.’
His decision to fundraise for Mind and begin his weight loss journey was heavily influenced by the death of his cousin, who died by suicide last May, Conor added.
He said: ‘After losing my cousin, I realised life is short and fragile, and it showed me that I needed to face my anxieties and push through the fears to live my life.’
Conor (pictured as a child) has battled a food addiction that, at its worst, would see him consume 5,000 calories a day
Conor’s mother, Susie, believes the shock of the tragedy altered her son’s mindset, making him focused on trying to ‘do something with his life.’
Susie, 46, said: ‘When his cousin died, it was so unexpected and the ripples it caused were unreal.
‘Conor’s always struggled with his weight, but it got to the point where it was basically life or death and I think when he saw his cousin, who was only a few months older than him, lose his life it sort of shocked him.
‘He gave him that strength to push past the barriers he faced, not to care what people thought of him.
‘He wanted to be healthy, to lose weight and to do something with his life. It’s amazed me how he’s taken to it.
‘Conor had never left the house since 2018 and yesterday he came home after managing 15 minutes on the football field. It’s just phenomenal.
‘And when the million steps challenge was suggested, I was taken aback but Conor really wanted to do it. It really made me realise how much he has changed as a person.’
Susie hopes Conor will become a support for others eager to lose weight as he continues his journey.
Conor’s mother Susie (right) is ‘amazed’ by how well Conor (left) has taken to the challenge
Conor is also a member of the ‘Man V Fat’ football group. Pictured with his coach (left) and the certificate he received after losing five per cent of his body weight, Conor enjoys playing football with other men who are focused on losing weight
Conor added: ‘I had very low self-esteem and severe anxiety, and it made me feel physically sick whenever I would try to go out the front door – I would also feel increasingly worried that people would judge my size.
‘If I did nothing, I knew I would not have long to live as my weight was at a critical level and had a massive impact on my physical and mental health.
‘So, despite feeling physically sick when I began going out I knew it was the time to do something and I felt that my cousin had given me the strength to overcome the barriers I put up to keep myself housebound.
‘I still feel anxious and sick but I will continue to push through as I know that is what he would have wanted to see me do.’
The one million steps challenge – which equates to roughly 11,000 steps a day – began on December 23, 2024.
Conor has already racked up more than 169,000 steps, raising £540 for Mind in the process.
Events such as Walk a Mile with Conor have seen 16 people join Conor for a stroll from Westgate Bay Cafe in Westgate-on-Sea to Margate and back – a two-mile round trip.
Meanwhile, his mother has been overwhelmed by how much money has been donated.
Conor was joined by 16 others for the Walk a Mile with Conor event, which saw the group walk from Westgate Bay Cafe in Westgate-on-Sea to Margate and back – a two-mile round trip
Conor was motivated to lose weight when his cousin died last May. He began his walking challenge on December 23 and has already completed 169,000 steps while raising £540 for mental health charity Mind
Susie said: ‘It’s absolutely amazing. I know everyone’s struggling financially across the county but the amount that’s been donated has blown my mind – it’s unreal.’
Conor is planning more walking events in the future as he works towards his challenge, including a two-mile walk on January 19.
- Donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/42st-man1-million-stepsmens-mental-health
- Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or at https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/.
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