Dedicated Man Loses 176 Pounds For His Dream Job Of Becoming A Police Officer

Nov 19, 2019

Romar Lyle, a recent college grad in Richmond, Virginia, has always wanted to help people. He grew up in a rough neighborhood and decided from an early age to give back to his community by becoming a friend, mentor and positive role model.

He has now gone viral for losing almost 200 pounds to realize his dream of becoming a police officer.

He obtained bachelor's degrees in psychology and criminal justice as well as a master's degree in investigative forensics. It was during his college years that he started dreaming of a badge. He worked as an on-campus director for students in need, and part of his duties required him to ride along with police officers. The seed was planted. He wanted to become a police officer too.

There was just one problem: Romar weighed 405 pounds.

"I knew I was overweight,” he admitted to Good Morning America. "I knew I needed to lose weight, but it was just so hard."

A supervisor invited him along to a CrossFit gym that was near campus. Romar was hesitant, fearing embarrassment in front of other gym-goers, but he decided to give it a shot. He spoke with Good Morning America, saying:

"I'll never forget that first workout," he said, explaining that he was only able to run 100 meters of the 400 meters that everyone else did. "By the time it took me to get there, the people had already run the 400 meters and were on their way back. I wanted to cry."

Despite his fears, however, no one laughed at him. They even cheered for him. Romar decided to go back again, and before long, he was going to the gym every day.

"I started to love it," he enthused. "It wasn't even about weight loss anymore. I genuinely had fun working out and trying to build a better life."

Eventually, Romar lost enough weight to join the local police academy. It involved seven months of physical and mental hardship, and he was still large; he continued working out even during his police training.

It all paid off when he graduated and became a police officer. His weight was just 222 pounds.

"I'm in a good place where I feel happier and healthier," Romar said to Good Morning America. "I can't wait to see where I can go from here."

What do you think, readers? Have you ever transformed yourself like Romar? Are you inspired by his journey? Let us know in the comments.