At 39 years old, Byron Jackson never imagined he would be working out five days a week and trading in fried foods for soups and salads.
Weighing in at 340 pounds, it wasn’t until Jackson and his wife had their first child that he realized it was time for a change. He wanted to be around for his family, and the only way he could do that would be by shedding excess weight.
After “almost dying” from his first workout, Jackson said, it took a few classes to not dread going.
“The trainers at D1 [Waco] make it easy on athletes to go at their own pace and do what they’re comfortable with. They continuously motivate you to keep going and push through each workout,” Jackson said.
After going twice a week, Jackson increased to working out five days a week. When the six-month mark hit, Jackson was losing a pound a day, and inches were starting to fall off to the point that his clothes no longer fit him.
“Going from not being able to do a single pushup to being able to keep up with the younger athletes at D1 was a change,” Jackson said. “I had always envisioned myself as a relatively tall and a lean guy but never thought it would actually come to fruition.”
Brooke, Byron’s wife, witnessed the transformation firsthand.
“Not many people can say they lost over 100 pounds without the help of pills or surgery, but Byron has. He has more energy than ever before, self-confidence, and his overall mood and outlook on life has made a complete 180,” Brooke said.
D1 Waco general manager Kevin Engelbrecht presented Jackson with the 2017 D1 National Athlete of the Year Award.
“Byron’s incredible journey and extraordinary transformation was celebrated by every member and employee at D1 Waco and championed by the Waco Community,” Engelbrecht said.
Each program stems from a core of faith-based encouragement and direction—a structure not typically found at the average gym, with each trainer at D1 bringing a different perspective to the table.
“I hit some plateaus along the way, but I was losing inches in my waist, I was able to get o my medication, I was getting stronger, and other aspects of my body were showing drastic improvement,” said Jackson.
A year and a half into his D1 experience, Jackson weighed in at 230 pounds. That is 110 pounds lost in the span of 18 months.
“D1 Waco has completely changed my life. People view you in a completely different manner—they are much more receptive to someone who looks and feels confident in who they are,” Jackson said.
