Marine dropped 147 pounds to do "something bigger"

Pascagoula man goes from 338 pounds to 191 to become a Marine
Sun Herald
BY PATRICK OCHS
January 11, 2014

OCEAN SPRINGS -- E.J. Nunez wasn't always among the few, but the Pascagoula resident is now on the verge of becoming one of the proud -- the Marines.

Almost two years ago, Nunez decided he wanted to "be one of the best," so he picked up the phone and called his local U.S. Marine Corps recruitment office. After checking off various requirements, the recruiter asked Nunez about his weight.

The 18-year-old gulped. Always a heavy kid, Nunez crushed the scales at 338 pounds.

The recruiter told him he should probably consider a different career path.

Nunez took the conversation as a challenge, and Monday he is scheduled to ship out to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot on Parris Island, S.C., as an athletic 191-pound 20-year-old well on his way to achieving his goal.

"I just wanted to do something bigger than myself," he said. "I wanted to prove that I could do it. When I called the recruiter, he told me I was disqualified and it just kind of … I don't really know. I just knew I had to do this."
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Linked from Military.com