Home Life Style A 24-year-old man, who weighs 41 kilos and had not left the house since 2018 due to his anxiety, is now taking on the challenge of ONE MILLION steps to get fit.

A 24-year-old man, who weighs 41 kilos and had not left the house since 2018 due to his anxiety, is now taking on the challenge of ONE MILLION steps to get fit.

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Conor Steptoe (pictured) has embarked on a walking challenge that will see him take a million steps in three months.

A 90-pound man who couldn’t leave the house for six years is walking a million steps to get fit and raise money for charity.

Conor Steptoe was paralyzed by anxiety so severe that he felt physically sick at the thought of going out.

The 24-year-old from Margate, Kent, was battling a food addiction which, at its worst, caused him to consume 5,000 calories a day.

But the unexpected death of his cousin gave Conor a new perspective and made him realize that his weight had become a life-threatening problem.

Now, he’s three weeks into a major challenge, which will see him walk a million steps in three months – no easy feat for someone who once struggled to get from the living room to the kitchen.

With the support of his mother and the ‘Man V Fat’ football group, Conor has already lost three stone and raised £540 for mental health charity Mind.

Conor said that although his old diet included healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables, it was the large amount he ate that caused him to gain weight.

He explained: ‘I would eat as much as I could whenever I wanted if I was hungry. I would eat takeout or home-cooked food and find it difficult to stop eating.

Conor Steptoe (pictured) has embarked on a walking challenge that will see him take a million steps in three months.

‘I never used to count calories until I started this journey. I hope to reach between 18 and 20 stone by the end of the trip.

‘I was given the challenge to reduce my calories to no more than 1,800 per day, which is quite difficult for someone like me who has an obsession and addiction to food.

‘I have good days where I eat below my target, but some days I max out and still feel like I can eat more.

‘I had heard about Man V Fat before and then I saw it online. “It has really given me discipline and by playing football once a week I have a community of like-minded people who want to lose weight.”

His decision to raise funds for Mind and begin his weight loss journey was heavily influenced by the death of his cousin, who committed suicide last May, Conor added.

He said: “After losing my cousin, I realized that life is short and fragile, and that showed me that I needed to face my anxieties and overcome fears to live my life.”

Conor (pictured as a child) has battled a food addiction that, at worst, would see him consume 5,000 calories a day.

Conor (pictured as a child) has battled a food addiction that, at worst, would see him consume 5,000 calories a day.

Conor’s mother, Susie, believes the impact of the tragedy altered her son’s mentality, making him focus on trying to “do something with his life.”

Susie, 46, said: “When her cousin died it was very unexpected and the shock it caused was unreal.

“Conor has always struggled with his weight but it got to the point where it was basically life or death and I think when he saw his cousin, who was only a few months older than him, lose his life, it kind of shocked him.

‘He gave him that strength to overcome the barriers he faced, no matter what people thought of him.

‘He wanted to be healthy, lose weight and do something with his life. I’m surprised how he took it.

‘Conor had never left the house since 2018 and returned home yesterday after spending 15 minutes on the football pitch. It’s just phenomenal.

“And when they suggested the million step challenge, I was taken aback, but Conor really wanted to do it. It really made me realize how much he’s changed as a person.”

Susie hopes Conor will become a support for others who want to lose weight as he continues his journey.

Conor's mother, Susie (right), is

Conor’s mother Susie (right) is “shocked” at how well Conor (left) has taken on the challenge.

Conor is also a member of the football group 'Man V Fat'. Pictured with his trainer (left) and the certificate he received after losing five per cent of his body weight, Conor enjoys playing football with other men who are focused on losing weight.

Conor is also a member of the football group ‘Man V Fat’. Pictured with his trainer (left) and the certificate he received after losing five per cent of his body weight, Conor enjoys playing football with other men who are focused on losing weight.

Conor added: “I had very low self-esteem and a lot of anxiety, and it made me feel physically ill every time I tried to walk out the front door – I also became increasingly worried that people would judge my size.”

‘If I did nothing, I knew I wouldn’t have long to live as my weight was at a critical level and it was having a huge impact on my physical and mental health.

‘So, despite feeling physically unwell when I started going out, I knew it was time to do something and I felt like my cousin had given me the strength to overcome the barriers I put up to keep myself confined to the house.

“I still feel anxious and sick, but I will continue to fight because I know that is what he would have wanted me to do.”

The million step challenge, which is approximately 11,000 steps a day, began on December 23, 2024.

Conor has already racked up more than 169,000 steps, raising £540 for Mind in the process.

At events such as Walk a Mile with Conor, 16 people joined Conor for a walk from Westgate Bay Cafe in Westgate-on-Sea to Margate and back – a two-mile round trip.

Meanwhile, his mother has been overwhelmed by the amount of money donated.

Conor was joined by 16 others for the Walk a Mile with Conor event, which saw the group walk from Westgate Bay Cafe in Westgate-on-Sea to Margate and back – a two-mile round trip.

Conor was joined by 16 others for the Walk a Mile with Conor event, which saw the group walk from Westgate Bay Cafe in Westgate-on-Sea to Margate and back – a two-mile round trip.

Conor was motivated to lose weight when his cousin died last May. She started her walking challenge on December 23 and has already completed 169,000 steps while raising £540 for mental health charity Mind.

Conor was motivated to lose weight when his cousin died last May. She started her walking challenge on December 23 and has already completed 169,000 steps while raising £540 for mental health charity Mind.

Susie said: ‘It’s absolutely amazing. “I know everyone is struggling financially across the county, but the amount that has been donated has blown me away – it’s unreal.”

Conor is planning more walking events in the future as he works towards his challenge, including a two-mile walk on January 19.

  • Donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/42st-man1-million-stepsmens-mental-health
  • Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/.

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