Local resident, Marcus Cook, has announced that he will appearing in the NBC Broadcast special of the 2018 IRONMAN World Championship, which will be aired Saturday, November 24, 2018 from 4:30pm-6:00pm ET.

Houston, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 11/21/2018 -- Local resident, Marcus Cook, has announced that he will appearing in the NBC Broadcast special of the 2018 IRONMAN World Championship. The World Championship occurred on October 13, 2018 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. This Emmy-award winning broadcast is an annual celebration that brings together a mix sports fans from around the world, beyond those of triathletes.

Cook, who previously weighed close to 500 pounds, has lost more than 250 pounds and has now become a healthy inspiration to his family and all those who meet him. He has trained, swam, biked, and ran through a multitude of 5Ks, triathlons, and IRONMAN races, recently raising more than $100,000 for the IRONMAN Foundation.

"You may not be 500 pounds like I was, but you may have 500 pounds of problems. Let my finish line be your starting line", says Cook. He hopes his story will encourage, motivate, and inspire others to accomplish a goal. "If you meet that goal, move it and accomplish it". If you don't think you can reach your goal, or feel hopeless, just keep in mind what Cook has accomplished in the past 3 years.

"Big to Little" is a website that chronicles the weight loss and triathlete journey of Marcus Cook. Three years ago, Marcus had gastric bypass surgery and dedicated his life to being healthy and inspiring others. He thought becoming an IRONMAN was in impossibility. He accepted the challenge and is now an IRONMAN World Champion. This website is dedicated to inspire others to "Do Something New Everyday", a lifestyle motto Marcus follows daily.

Follow Marcus on social media:
@teambigtolittle (Twitter)
@bigtolittle (Facebook)
bigtolittle (Instagram)
bigtolittle (Vimeo)

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/former-500-pound-man-to-appear-in-nbc-broadcast-of-2018-ironman-world-championship-1089468.htm

Local resident, Marcus Cook, has announced that he will be running in the Chevron Houston Marathon this weekend

Houston, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/11/2017 -- Local resident, Marcus Cook, has announced that he will be running in the Chevron Houston Marathon this weekend, just one week after he ran his first marathon at Walt Disney World.

"I have become a runner. I remember being 8 or 9 years old and being skinny. And I remember my gym teacher was a runner, and he was training for the Chevron Marathon that was coming up. I wanted so bad to be a runner, and I remember telling him that I wanted to be a runner like him. He said 'All you have to do is put one foot in front of the other and run', "says Cook.

Fast forward to today –Cook is accomplishing his childhood dream, a dream he didn't think was within reach when he was almost 500 pounds.

Marcus Cook's journey began 16 months ago, when at 489 pounds, he made the courageous decision to have gastric bypass surgery, a surgery that would change his life forever. Since that time, Cook has trained, biked, swam, and ran his way to complete several races including 5Ks and triathlons, and has shed over 250 pounds.

"Just losing the weight is not enough. I had to change me", says Cook. His Bariatric Surgeon, Garth Davis, M.D., who is affiliated with Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center, and Assistant Professor of Surgery at McGovern Medical School of UTHealth, even accompanied Cook on one of his sprint triathlons last year, as well as the Olympic distance race in Miami. "Marcus joked that if he lost a certain amount of weight, we should participate in a triathlon together. I didn't believe he was serious," says Dr. Davis.

Cook has embarked on a healthier lifestyle and is now plant-based, a diet based on fruits, vegetables, rice, and whole grains. "For years I thought I was just hurting myself, but I was hurting my entire family. Now my kids want to be healthy. They want to be like their dad."

He hopes his story will encourage and motivate others to do the same. If you don't think there's hope, just look at what Cook has accomplished in a little over a year. "By doing something new every day, you will change your life".

"Big to Little" is a website that chronicles the weight loss journey of Marcus Cook. On September 14, 2015 Marcus had gastric bypass surgery and has been documenting his story since that time. He weighed almost 500 pounds, and has since been training for 5Ks, marathons, and triathlons. This site encourages others to "Do Something New Everyday", a motto that Marcus lives by.

Follow Marcus on social media:
@teambigtolittle (Twitter)
@bigtolittle (Facebook)
bigtolittle (Instagram)
bigtolittle (Vimeo)

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/former-500-pound-man-to-run-2nd-marathon-this-weekend-759248.htm

Houston's Marcus Cook loses 230 pounds in one year by becoming triathlete.

Houston, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/16/2016 -- Local resident, Marcus Cook, announced today that he will be competing in the 2016 Mack Cycle Escape to Miami Triathlon on Sunday, September 25, 2016 in Miami, FL. Cook, who underwent a gastric bypass in September 2015, has completed several races since the surgery, including five sprint triathlons, one which he ran with his surgeon, Garth Davis, M.D., a Bariatric Surgeon affiliated with Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center, and Assistant Professor of Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. "Marcus joked that if he lost a certain amount of weight, we should participate in a triathlon together. I didn't believe he was serious. But as I watched him shed pounds, eat right, and get active, I knew I needed to hold up my end," Dr. Davis said of his commitment.

Cook and his surgeon, Dr. Davis, will be teaming up once again as they compete together in the Olympic distance race in Miami (swim 0.9 miles, bike 24.8 miles, run 6.2 miles) where they will embark on a scenic journey through Miami Beach that begins at the infamous Escape Island. This will be Cook's second Olympic distance triathlon, after finishing the TriRock Austin Triathlon in Austin, TX this past Labor Day.

Cook has invested in a year of hard work and has been rewarded with incredible results. With a pre-surgery weight of 489 pounds, the procedure alone would not be enough to achieve a healthy BMI. Dr. Davis, an accomplished triathlete himself, challenged Cook to use this surgery as a tool to aid in a lifestyle change. What seemed an insurmountable goal, Cook turned into a reality by taking the words of his surgeon to heart: "Do something new every day."

Cook has surrounded himself with a team of people who are helping him to achieve success on his journey to healthy living. One teammate advised him to set a goal of something tangible; something he couldn't do now, but could work toward. Triathlon training became that goal.

Cook hopes that his story will be motivation for others who are overweight or are too intimidated to set such lofty goals for themselves. He wants to show that by applying hard work and doing something new every day, they, too, can achieve triumphs that never before seemed possible. "I hope someone will hear my story and say, 'If he can do it, I can do it.' I was nearly 500 pounds, and I made a change."

See more of Cook's story at http://www.bigtolittle.com.

Follow Marcus on social media:
@teambigtolittle (Twitter)
@bigtolittle (Facebook)
bigtolittle (Instagram)
bigtolittle (Vimeo)

For more information on the Escape to Miami Triathlon visit http://www.escapetomiamitriathlon.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/former-500-pound-man-to-compete-in-2nd-olympic-distance-triathlon-723602.htm

Local resident, Marcus Cook, announced today that he will be competing in the 10th Annual TriRock Austin Triathlon on Monday, September 5, 2016 in Austin, TX.

Houston, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 08/31/2016 -- Local resident, Marcus Cook, announced today that he will be competing in the 10th Annual TriRock Austin Triathlon on Monday, September 5, 2016 in Austin, TX. Cook, who underwent a gastric bypass in September 2015, has completed several races since the surgery, including five sprint triathlons, one which he ran with his surgeon, Garth Davis, M.D., a Bariatric Surgeon affiliated with Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center, and Assistant Professor of Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. "Marcus joked that if he lost a certain amount of weight, we should participate in a triathlon together. I didn't believe he was serious.

But as I watched him shed pounds, eat right, and get active, I knew I needed to hold up my end," Dr. Davis said of his commitment.

The TriRock Austin Triathlon hosts a variety of distances for athletes to choose, including a Super Sprint (swim 350 meters, bike 6.2 miles, run 3.1 miles) Sprint (swim 700 meters, bike 12.4 miles, run 3.1 miles) and Olympic (swim 1500 meters, bike 24.8 miles, run 6.2 miles). This Labor Day, Cook will compete in the Olympic distance race, an accomplishment that at almost an exact year ago seemed a far­fetched dream at best. Today, he looks forward with anticipation to setting and meeting new goals as he continues to set the bar higher and higher, and rewardingly watches the numbers on his scale drop lower and lower.

With a pre­surgery weight of 489 pounds, the procedure alone would not be enough to achieve a healthy BMI. Dr. Davis, an accomplished triathlete himself, challenged Cook to use this surgery as a tool to aid in a lifestyle change. What seemed an insurmountable goal, Cook turned into a reality by taking the words of his surgeon to heart: "Do something new every day."

Cook has surrounded himself with a team of people who are helping him to achieve success on his journey to healthy living. One teammate advised him to set a goal of something tangible? something he couldn't do now, but could work toward. Triathlon training became that goal.

Cook hopes that his story will be motivation for others who are overweight or are too intimidated to set such lofty goals for themselves. He wants to show that by applying hard work and doing something new every day, they, too, can achieve triumphs that never before seemed possible. "I hope someone will hear my story and say, 'If he can do it, I can do it.' I was nearly 500 pounds, and I made a change."

See more of Cook's story at http://www.bigtolittle.com.

Follow Marcus on social media:
@teambigtolittle (Twitter)
@bigtolittle (Facebook)
bigtolittle (Instagram)
bigtolittle (Vimeo)

For more information on the TriRock Austin Triathlon visit http://trirock.competitor.com/.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/former-500-pound-man-to-compete-in-olympic-triathlon-719293.htm