'Fat Daddy' personal trainer helps others find their path to fitness

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (FOX 13) - A man is use his history to carve out his future.

Mike Lee holds boot camp classes multiple times a week through his business, "Fat Daddy Personal Training."

"It's a joke name," he explained to FOX 13. "I think its catchy and I think people like it. It reminds me where I am because it's not that hard to slip back in to those lazy habits. Just cause you are in shape doesn't mean you stay there."

Lee said he once described himself as a "fat daddy" but then a couple of health scares changed his life.

"About three years in a row, I had serious health issues. The most serious was septic pneumonia which I had about two years before my life change," Lee recalled. "If I hadn't gone to the doctor, I wouldn't be here right now."

That was motivation enough to change his life and become certified as a personal trainer. Now, he leads boot camps throughout the week and said that his history breaks down barriers between clients and and trainers.

"I understand when they say, 'I had a bad weekend and ate more than I should have,' or, 'I was busy with the kids,'" Lee explained. "I think I'm in a good place to help other people cause I've been there."

For more information on Fat Daddy Personal Training, head over to Lee's website for the business.