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Dave Letele is happy to share the secret behind a weight loss journey that saw him morph from an angry, depressed 200kg loser into a fit, healthy, tireless campaigner for the disadvantaged.

鈥淗ere is the secret,鈥� the founder of (BBM) told delegates at 爆料社区鈥檚 Connections 2022 Conference.

鈥淪top drinking fizzy drinks every day, stop eating KFC every day, and go for a walk. That鈥檚 it. That鈥檚 the secret.鈥�

The most common reaction when he reveals his 鈥榮ecret鈥�?

鈥淧eople say 鈥榠t can鈥檛 be that easy鈥�. I say: 鈥榳ho said it was easy鈥�? It is simple - but it is not easy.鈥�

That distinction is vital to the message Letele imparts as he takes his audience through a life journey that began with being born into a Mongrel Mob family and then took numerous detours from the path of righteousness before he discovered his true purpose 鈥� helping others.

鈥淚 help people because I can,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f you can help 鈥� then you should, too.鈥�

But don鈥檛 expect it to be easy. Life isn鈥檛 like that.

鈥淚f you haven鈥檛 gone through bad times yet, I guarantee you will,鈥� Letele counsels.

鈥淲hen you do, don鈥檛 be afraid to struggle and work your way back up. I encourage everyone here, when you go through tough times in life, hit speed bumps and roadblocks, don鈥檛 use them as an excuse to stop, use them as fuel.鈥�

Not stopping is another of Letele鈥檚 mantras. It鈥檚 closely linked to 鈥楴o Excuses鈥�, the catch cry of a movement that encourages people to get up and get on with life, no matter how hopeless their situation may seem.

The final, perhaps most important, piece of advice Letele gives those seeking a positive change in their lives is: just start.

鈥淎ll you鈥檝e got to do is start. Then stay consistent, be around good people and stop letting excuses get in the way.鈥�

Despite his upbringing, Letele considers himself fortunate - fortunate that a promising professional rugby league career that ended prematurely due to knee injuries, at least left him with the skills to implement what would become a relentless campaign of healthy eating and exercise.

Not everyone is so fortunate. Letele鈥檚 blood boils when he hears talk of people who transgress in life having made personal choices, and debates over whether they should receive second chances.

鈥淭he thing about personal choice is that it implies an equal starting point,鈥� he says. 鈥淔or people like me, we couldn鈥檛 even see the start line. People say 鈥榞ive them a second chance鈥�. What about the first chance?

鈥淎nyone who has broken the cycle understands how hard that is to do.鈥�

But it can be done.

Letele 鈥� and the many hundreds of people he has helped turned their lives around are evidence of that.

鈥淚 help people because I can help,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f we all lived that way the world would be a better place. If you can help, you should.

鈥淚 think about the ripple effect. Success for all of us, for all of our communities is just around the corner. But we will never know if we keep staying down. All we鈥檝e got to do is get back up.鈥�

David Letele鈥檚 Buttabean Motivation Movement (BBM) provides free exercise classes, operates food shares and life-skills training for struggling families in Auckland and Tokoroa.