By Saul Cooke-Black

A KICKBOXING champion has donated his match fee and raised money through sponsorship for the charity which helped him break free from his drug addiction.

Four-time K1/Muay kickboxing championDave Wilmott, from Stroud, dedicated his triumph against Dawid Marsel in Gloucester on Saturday to The Nelson Trust in Brimscombe, which celebrates its 30th anniversary on July 11.

Through donating his £400 match fee and with sponsorship, he has so far raised more than £800 for the charity.

Talking about his addiction, Mr Wilmott said: “Drugs had turned me into a raging animal.

"I lost everything, jobs, friends, family – my life.

"I was homeless and just did not care about anything as long as I could get the drugs. I begged God to kill me every day.

"I didn’t want to go through another day of using drugs – it was too painful.

“I tried to end it all many times but someone always came to the rescue.”

He hit rock bottom in 2005 when two of his instructors died within a month of each other and began attending The Nelson Trust, which helped him recover.

For the first time he was able to share his problems.

“I listened to others sharing their feelings honestly. I was no longer alone,” he said.

“We all carried the shame of doing terrible things to feed addiction. It was such a release to cry.”

Since 2013 he has been teaching boxercise, women’s Thai boxing, circuits, and East-West Muay Thai boxing at The Fifth Dimension Gym, while training to become a coach.

He added: “I have caused a lot of damage but now I have the chance to give something back. I really want to help young men who struggle with anger. If I can do this, I’ll die a happy man.”

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/david-willmot.