Lafayette Man Loses 200 Pounds in Order to Join U.S. Air Force

(Lafayette, LA) - An amazing story of triumph for a young man wanting to fulfill his dream of joining the United States Air Force came true after his determination, grit, and heart, according to KLFY.

This is a story of triumph.

A young man, Ethan Cobb, always wanted to join the military, but when he went to the Lafayette Armed Forces Recruiting Office, what happened was not what he expected.

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The recruiter told Cobb that he was not eligible to serve. They told him, "No." That one no turned into something life-changing for Cobb as he determined then and there that he was still going to go after his dream, and he would change his life to do it.

His mother, Becki Kidder, says when Cobb was told he was not eligible, she knew this could be the catalyst for something amazing or the destruction of a dream. Kidder says her turned his life around on his own.

Cobb decided he wanted to change his life, and he did. He took a journey within himself to find his determination and grit, changed his life, and lost 200 pounds over a two-year period.

When Cobb walked into the Lafayette recruiting office a second time, recruiters were able to sign him up, and within weeks, Cobb was at Basic Training.

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Now the young man serves in the United States Air Force, having been an honor graduate and a leader during training.

Kidder says it was bittersweet when her son was accepted. He is fulfilling his dream, which she is incredibly proud of, but of course, she misses her son.

He completely changed his life to get to his goal, and now he is living out his dream.

Kidder told KLFY,

He went from that chubby little boy to this grown man…he set his eye on the prize, and he just kept going. He amazed all of us at how strong and how resilient he was.

Cobb's determination led to his achieving his goal.