Fat To Fast

Kendal Kirby is a morbidly obese fourteen-year-old boy living in Melbourne in a somewhat dysfunctional relationship with his widowed mother after his father’s suicide. Taunted and tormented at school by his peers and some teachers, he is missing out on a happy and fulfilling adolescent life.

In the house next door to the Kirbys is the Boyd family. The father, Dr Ross Boyd (PhD), is a clinical psychologist who sees and understands their problems, and decides to intervene. With his mother’s reluctant consent, in April, Kendal is sent to live with a former colleague of Ross, a retired psychologist named Dr Dennis Cooke, in his home in Hervey Bay, Queensland, for five months. And from the very day of Kendal’s arrival, Dennis takes control of his life to instruct him in healthy eating and to impose a suitable exercise regime, whilst home-schooling the boy, home being an emotionally and socially safe environment.

An integral part of Kendal’s new lifestyle is Donaldson Briggs, the skinny, good-natured thirteen-year-old living next door, who also considers Dennis to be his surrogate grandfather. Sharing a common interest and talent for computer games, the boys become instant friends. Through a combination of hard work, fun, and Donaldson’s kindness and support, Kendal’s weight decreases quickly, as the close bond between them increases to the point of being almost fraternal.

Finally, after ten weeks and a loss of twenty-five kilograms, Kendal reaches his goal weight. He then commences karate lessons and a basic training program in long-distance running. After six weeks, he enters four events at a local weekend junior athletics competition where he wins all the races whilst breaking three track records and equalling one. A few days later, his new confidence and martial arts skills allow him to defend against an aggressive intoxicated older teenager.

Returning to his home and school in October, after a sad parting from Donaldson, Kendal is physically and emotionally a totally different person. None of his old classmates recognise him at first, and when they finally do, he is treated with new acceptance and grudging respect, especially after beating a former bully who picks a fight. At Dennis’s request, Kendal’s P.E. teacher finds him a good private athletics coach. He also discovers that girls in his school now think he’s attractive.

Facing challenges he never expected, Kendal emerges as a hero by overcoming his physical and emotional difficulties to build trust and self-confidence. But he also shows human fraility as he come to terms with those same emotional demons.

Throughout Fat to Fast, the reader is given an opportunity to join Kendal on his journey through the narrative of Dennis Cooke, and the private thoughts of both Kendal and Donaldson, as Kendal heals himself from within, establishes meaningful relationships, and works to fulfil his sporting dream. Also, Fat to Fast allows readers to reflect upon themselves, to consider the trials and tribulations of their own lives, and to think about how they might deal with similar circumstances.

Enjoy the raw honesty, pain and humour that Kendal’s story has to offer