“Tiny” is planning a 2014 retirement, is afraid will get even heavier after that

Oct 21, 2013 03:23 GMT  ·  By
At his heaviest, Manny “Tiny” Yarbrough was over 800 pounds (370 kg), is the world’s heaviest athlete
   At his heaviest, Manny “Tiny” Yarbrough was over 800 pounds (370 kg), is the world’s heaviest athlete

In the ring, sumo wrestler and mixed martial arts fighter Manny Yarbrough aka “Tiny” has always used his weight to his advantage but, now that he’s planning a 2014 retirement, he feels like he should do something about it lest he continue gaining weight after he’s out.

“Tiny” is now the world’s heaviest athlete certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. At his heaviest, he weighed over 800 pounds (370 kg), so you see why he’s thinking the pounds might continue piling on when he retires.

In a new interview with ABC News, Manny says he’s always been a big child, both tall and large. As a kid, he would play with the other boys but pay close attention not to hurt anyone because of his impressive size.

Growing up, he also started eating more. As the saying goes, it’s never too late to improve your life and, at 49, Manny knows he can’t continue like this.

“I'm desperate to get back to my best college shape in time for the nationals next year. It's the sportsman in me that never-give-up attitude. It's a challenge. I had to give it a shot because of that inner athlete in me pushing me to do it,” Manny says of why the time has come for a change.

“Once I retire, it's about a quality of life I want to have. I had a ticket cancelled on me on a flight to Italy a few years ago and haven't flown since through fear it would happen again,” he explains.

“It's partly down to genetics, as it isn't just weight. I have always been tall too. People never used to pay attention to the nutritional value of food, and I was growing pretty fast so needed to eat. My aunt would make big breakfasts because my cousins went out to work – but I wasn't accustomed to that. I just hung out and ate with them,” he says.

He doesn’t say how he plans to lose the extra weight but one thing is certain: he will do it because he has the discipline for it.