The Incredible Stories

We know that quitting smoking is far from easy, but it’s one of the most incredible things you can ever do. Discover the incredible quit stories to motivate you on the journey.

David Michael King – From 20 cigarettes a day to achieving the freedom he always hoped for in his life and teaching hundreds to slackline.

“I smoked from the age of 16 and from then on that was the end of my athletic career’

‘Smoking was a social thing at first, trying to fit in. But then as I started working in kitchens it became really stressful and I relied on cigarettes. I struggled to sleep, which was especially tough when I found myself needing a cigarette whenever I woke up.’

‘I knew smoking would keep me from doing what I wanted to do with my life, I was always making excuses why I couldn’t quit’

‘I got into slack lining to take back control, control is everything on the line, when you’re up there it’s just you. You have to turn off those voices in your head that say you can’t, because you can. Giving up smoking was the hardest thing I ever did but it was the best thing I ever did.’

David now helps hundreds of people to ‘Walk the Line’ every year. David was paid for his story and all opinions expressed are his own.

Daan Verhoeven – From 20 cigarettes a day, to achieving national freediving records

Meet Daan

“Quitting smoking and starting freediving really changed my life dramatically. I used to smoke about a pack a day. I tried several times to quit, because I didn't like being addicted, but also because my father died of lung cancer and that really frightened me.“

“I found freediving and it sparked a big passion in me. Suddenly my breath became much more important, much less taken for granted, and I could feel how smoking was holding me back - literally, I needed all the oxygen I could get in order to dive.”

“I started seeing quitting less as an obligation, and more as a present I could give myself. Give myself more oxygen. It was tough, but I allowed it to be tough; I'd learned from breath holding that if you relax once it gets tough instead of fighting it, you make it easier for yourself. Within a week I was holding my breath almost a minute longer than I could when I was smoking, and the worst of the withdrawals were behind me.

A year later I went from being a withdrawn and rather depressed soul to being a national record holding athlete, with friends all over the world.”

Daan now runs a freediving academy in Cornwall with his girlfriend Georgie. Daan was paid for his story and all opinions expressed are his own. To find out more about Daan, visit www.daanverhoeven.com.

Mark Cooper - From 20 cigarettes a day, to running across Europe in 56 days.

Meet Mark