Bodybuilder Blake Beckford was preparing for a competition when he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2003.
Over the next decade, the father-of-one, who lives in Stratford-upon-Avon, used a variety of different drugs to keep the bowel disease under control.
As a result he gave up his strict training regime of hitting the gym six times a week, reportedly lost two stone (13kg), and was forced to abandon his dream of becoming a fitness model.
According to the South West News Service, another bad flare up at the end of 2012 left him constantly tired and needing the toilet up to 20 times every day.
And then, in October of last year, Beckford had an operation at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford in which doctors removed his entire colon, diverting his small intestine through his abdomen and into a colostomy bag.
But Beckford was having none of it and began returning to the gym in January. He now looks fantastic.
"I did my first photo shoot at the end of April, and after that people began asking more about the bag and I was able to talk about it. People found it inspirational, and my confidence grew from the support of my family, friends, and social media."
The inspirational 33-year-old added: "I am determined to show people and society that having a stoma (colostomy bag) doesn’t change who you are."
