We heard the story over and over again. Anytime Purdue basketball played between the years of 2015 and 2017 we heard it.
And that was fine, because it was a good story. It was the story of a young man who grew up in a difficult environment that included homeless shelters
It was the story of a young man who loved dessert, cheesecake especially, who seemingly used food to comfort himself in these awful situations.
Ultimately he reached 360 pounds before he even set foot in high school. But then, something changed.
Caleb Swanigan was just 13 years old when former Purdue football player
Barnes understood what it took to excel both on the field and off and hoped to instill that drive in young Caleb.
Unlike his adopted father though football was not the game for Swanigan. No, his game was basketball. Despite being 300+ pounds there was something to his game.
Something that Barnes saw that he believed could change Swanigan’s life.
And so the work began. When you’re 6’2 and 360 pounds in the 8th grade you’re likely the biggest amongst your classmate
For anyone out there who has tried to lose weight you know how hard it can be. It takes dedication to not just exercise but also eat right.
The eating right is so important. And for someone who lived with food insecurity and an incomprehensible situation it can be extremely difficult.
In a story posted to ESPN In January 2017 Swanigan himself pointed out the challenges of eating right:
“You think it’s something really small, but it just builds up,” he said.