A MAN who suffered with depression and eating problems has turned his life around thanks to boxing.

Peter Chambers, 22, of Southend, took the sport up after having issues when his dad left the family when he was young .

He said: “I turned to drink and didn’t care what I did or anything about myself.

“It really knocked me back.

“Then I stopped eating and I got really skinny.

“It became impossible to put any of the weight back on.”

His weight dropped to eight stone, eight pounds.

However, he has managed to turn his life around.

Waking up one morning, he decided to do something to stop the downward spiral he had found himself in and put himself on a better life path.

The dad said: “I thought it’s a new day and time to start something new in my life.

“I decided to make the change that I needed to make in my life.

“I needed to use up my anger and get it out of my system.

“So I started to go boxing training.

“Boxing took the pain away and made me open my eyes to something bigger and better.

“I have carried on training ever since.

“I didn’t give up or give in, no matter what went wrong in my life.

“I’m still boxing and it’s going amazingly well.

“I am getting so much better at the sport.”

He has recently started competing and was thrilled when he won his first fight, with another one on June 17 that he is busy training for.

Peter added: “What I’m trying to say is that life is for living and enjoying.

“If you ever had a knock-back like mine or any other then try to turn the downgrade to an upgrade.

“I’m looking to carry on boxing and I have my head set on goals so I don’t go back to the same place again.

“You can do anything if you put your mind to it with good people around you.”