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Aug 18

The Heart Attack that Saved his Life – Morning Chalk Up

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The Heart Attack that Saved his Life | Morning Chalk Up

In 2016, unbeknownst to him, Al Sagapolutele had a heart attack.

He didnt find out until later why he had been feeling uncharacteristically out of breath and as if he was rocking back and forth on a boat for the last week.

While Sagapolutele was surprised to find out about his silent heart attack, another part of him wasnt surprised it had happened. He weighed 460 pounds at six-foot-three at the time and wasnt exactly the picture of health.

But Sagapolutele just never took his doctor that seriously until the heart attack, which left him feeling embarrassed and ashamed.

He added: I realized then that my life was completely out of control. Even before the heart attack, I would call in sick to work on Mondays because I had been drunk the night before. I knew I needed to make a change.

First, Sagapolutele met with a gastric bypass surgeon and considered the surgical route, but something stopped him from going through with it.

Instead, he started to eat better and lost some weight on his own, but he still had a long way to go, and he knew he needed help. Thats when he reached out to Dorian Shockey at CrossFit Resurgens in Atlanta, Ga.

He connected with his coach, and he also quickly connected with the community around him.

Sagapolutele added: I recognized this community being something I needed. It really was amazing. When you come from a world where youre desperate and nothing has worked, to an actual community where people quickly embrace you and want you to succeed. It made all the difference.

The support he received not only helped him continue to go to the gym and gain fitness, but it was also the encouragement he needed to change his diet. He stopped eating things like rice and bread and processed food and adopted a Paleo-type diet. And he stopped drinking alcohol as a way to cope with his emotions.

Today, Sagapolutele is down to 240 pounds, a weight he has maintained since the end of 2018. He feels much healthier, his blood pressure has returned to normal and he no longer needs medication, and he even seems to have resolved his sleep apnea.

In April 2017, Sagapolutele moved to Bloomington, MN and had to leave his community in Atlanta at CrossFit Resurgens. But he has embraced a new community at CrossFit 952.

Today, Sagapolutele trains with Coach Pat Tait at CrossFit 952, and more recently, he has become a part-time coach there. And just like in Atlanta, his coach and the broader community at CrossFit 952 have become invaluable to his journey.

This is why he wants to tell his story: So others can get the help they need, like he has through CrossFit.

He added: I remember when I was really heavy and I would watch videos of success stories, and I would think, Man, I wish I had that motivation or that guys mental toughness. But it wasnt about that. It was about the support. And its kind of weird being in this position today, but Im so thankful Im here. And if my story can help someone start their own journey, then I welcome that.

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The Heart Attack that Saved his Life - Morning Chalk Up

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