PTSD Knockout: How Corey lost 84kg and won a boxing title

Battling PTSD was only part of the fight Casino athlete Corey O’Donnell had to win to get his life, health and happiness back on track.

BOXING CHAMPION: Casino resident Corey O'Donnell, 43, has changed his life to drop 84kg, win the Australian World Boxing Federation Novice Heavy Weight title earlier this year and play Aussie rules for the Casino Lions.

Overcoming PTSD is a battle too many people don’t win.

But for Casino athlete Corey O’Donnell, sheer grit and a decision to take control of his physical and mental fitness, has seen him lose 84kg and regain his life, including taking out the Australian World Boxing Federation Novice Heavy Weight title earlier this year.

O’Donnell, 43, said that it’s been a long journey from 194kg, when he was at his lowest ebb, where he was unfit, unhappy and in a dark place.

“I had been working as a prison officer including at Long Bay in Sydney,” he said.

“After an incident at another prison where an inmate with HIV spat blood at me I had a medical discharge.

“The more than 10 years later through hypnotherapy I was able to come off the medication.”

O’Donnell said he was overweight and unhappy when he decided to take control of physical and mental fitness.

After a remarkable effort, he has gone from couch potato to lean, mean fighting machine, but he admits it was not easy.

“I followed a Keto diet and lost 7kg in the first week,” he said.

“Basically, I used to drink three litres of Coke a day and I went cold turkey and it nearly killed me.

“But I was really disciplined and when I got down to 150kg, I thought ‘I can get a bit lower’.”

O’Donnell was in the midst of losing weight and working out when the pandemic lockdown came along, which forced him a rethink of how to keep his health and fitness goals alive.

“A mate said ‘well you've been going into the gym, why don’t you set up a few punching bags at home’, and so I got right into boxing,” he said.

“I really enjoyed it and thought I’d see where this could go.

“Then I won the Australian World Boxing Federation Novice Heavy Weight title on February 3, 2021, in Caloundra, Queensland.”

Now O’Donnell trains most nights at a gym in Kyogle as well as in the ruck or on the forward line with his beloved Aussie rules team, the recently reformed Casino Lions.

“I had not played AFL in 17 years when I played rep footy in Newcastle, so to run out onto the ground with Lions last week was amazing,” he said.

“And training at Kyogle Boxfit with Justin and Greg Wimble three nights a week is really great.”

A career change has seen O’Donnell study his Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety.

“I am now a big advocate for the health body healthy mind approach,” he said.

“Now I’m training hard for my next fight on June 5 for a World Boxing League State Heavy Weight title.”