Welcome Ben Davis to the AllSport GPS Family

As mentioned in an earlier post, Trimble Outdoors has teamed with acclaimed runner and inspirational figure Ben Davis to launch the AllSport GPS Ambassador program.

Over the coming months, Ben will be posting blog entries both here and on his website, BenDoesLife.com. They will be updates on his upcoming 5K national tour, training tips and other useful and exciting information.

Here is Ben's first post about the beginning of his remarkable story.

On December 24^th, 2008, my grandmother broke my mindless daydream by asking for my help with a crossword puzzle clue.

I had been sitting on the couch staring into the backyard. It was Christmas Eve, the moon was shining over the snow and I actually helped her figure out the clue. Knowing that I had helped her made me smile as she filled in the answer. It was one of the few times in 2008 that I had smiled.

I was 360 pounds, depressed, and I had cut myself off from friends in family in favor of playing video games in my dark bedroom behind locked doors.

After she finished the puzzle, she laid the paper down and took off her eye glasses.

“Ben,” she said. “Are you happy?”

I didn’t know what to say, so I lied and told her I was.

That night, as I laid in bed, I was finally honest with myself.

I wasn’t happy and I hadn’t been in a very long time.

So the next morning, I started down the steps of getting my life together. To finally getting a grip. To losing the weight, to getting fit, and most importantly, finding that happiness my grandmother asked me about.

And so I ran.

And I kept running.

And the weight loss happened. And I ran farther. I ran a 5K. And then a 10K. I did a half marathon and I kept going. I ran a full marathon and did an ironman.

It took 18 months.

But better than the miles and the finishers’ certificates? The smile I found. The happiness. I traded in my computer games for a pair of sneakers. I traded in my locked bedroom for the open road. I traded in my agoraphobia for meeting and connecting with thousands of people I would have never otherwise had the opportunity to meet.

My name is Ben Davis. I’m 25 and I blog at BenDoesLife.com. I’m the founder of the Do Life Movement along with my brother and father. We’re a team and we’re committed to spreading the happiness we’ve found as far as we possibly can.

I’m excited to have the opportunity to be an ambassador for AllSport GPS. Over the next several months, I’ll be blogging here and we have some exciting things lined up for some interactive communication. I’ll be sharing the advice from the things I’ve learned over the past two and a half years and we’ll be hosting live chats, Q&As and other fun (and hopefully helpful) things.

Can’t wait to get started!