Real Lives: Cristobal Hernandez

24 year old Cristobal Hernandez contacted me and asked if I would share his story. He also features in the current edition of Jiu Jitsu Magazine.

When Cristobel was a young teenager he was obese and suffered terrible bullying at school. His self esteem was at its lowest and things were on a continual downward spiral. But at 18, he took a drastic course of action - embarking on an epic regime of weight loss through dieting and exercise. He went from 315lbs down to 215lbs (22 stone to 15 stone). This in itself is a remarkable achievement. But he wanted more.

In 2010 he started jiu jitsu and currently trains at the Westside Training Center, Los Angeles. His goal was to lose as much weight as he could and compete at the IBJJF World Championships. After a brief break, forced by injury, he eventually hit his current weight of 17lbs (12 stone) and did compete at the Mundials.

Cristobal explains: "I just love to train jiu jitsu, I have fun doing it, and it really keeps me disciplined and focused in all aspects of my life.... Most of all it forces me to stay on top of my diet so I don't have to worry about the weight coming back on ;P I truly hope this story can motivate any of you struggling to this day. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish it."

I would like to wish Cristobal all the best for his future career in BJJ and thanks for allowing me to share his inspiring story.


.