Neal Bendesky: From 450 pounds to running half-marathons

August 26, 2024 Andy Furman

The cover of Neal Bendesky’s book, “Never2Late.” Courtesy of Neal Bendesky

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OK – he’s not from Brooklyn. He wasn’t an athlete — either amateur or professional.

But boy, does he have a story.

“I do have fond memories of visiting Grimaldi’s Pizzeria under the Brooklyn Bridge,” Neal Bendesky tells the Brooklyn Eagle.

That wasn’t the only eating establishment frequented by Bendesky.

Other than Grimaldi’s, perhaps the closet he came in to the borough was, gulp, Queens. “I was born in Boulevard Hospital in Astoria,” he says. And for those with a short memory, Boulevard Hospital — located at 46-04 31st Ave. — no longer exists. The 234-bed private hospital was owned by a group of 24 doctors; and the hospital lost its payment stream from Medicaid and Medicare. That happened in 1985.

But we stray.

Bendesky knew at an early age his love for sports was better suited for a management position than an athlete on the field of play. “Working in a sports marketing career and sales may have saved me from the injuries prone to athletes,” Bendesky says, “But it still came with a physical cost.”

That cost was weight — and plenty of it.

By the time he turned 57, he weighed 450 pounds. “Years of traveling, sitting at a desk and stress had taken a toll,” he admits.

He also learned he had some circulation issues after consulting with a Florida physician. “I was told I was on a dangerous path in term of my overall health. I was told I was morbidly obese.”

Frightened and alarmed, Bendesky continued to work on the biggest stages in sports —- colleges and professional. “I was a prisoner of my job,” he said. “I heard, but I didn’t listen. I lived in fear. I was a walking dead man. I needed to become obsessed to take my lifestyle to a better place.”

His worst fear became a reality on Aug. 2, 2016. He experienced sudden cardiac death from a hereditary issue. “I had just completed a media interview with the local Fox Sports crew taping segments at Spooner Physical Therapy and the Orangetheory Fitness (OTF) South Chandler (Ariz.) studio,” he said. “I was resting on a bench, and that’s all I remembered.”

That life-threatening event reinforced his message — you never know what’s in your body.

“It’s funny,” he says now, “I’ve always worked in the athletics industry, but had difficulty with my own fitness. “Long hours and unhealthy eating habits led me down a path that was damaging my health.”

He would work late at the University of Miami, he says, and he would chow down on two large, extra-cheese, extra-pepperoni pizzas. “I’d just take them down and barely drink any water,” he says. “So, binge eating is really one of those things where maybe you have six donuts, and then you say, ‘Oh, may I can have three more?’”

He had one foot in the grave. But in 2014, he started a wellness journey, lost over 199 pounds, and reimagined his life. “I helped become the CEO of my life, my community, my legacy and now my family,” the Arizona resident says.

He went from sudden cardiac death and from the couch to competing in 17 half-marathons. He has a new lifestyle platform.

In total, Neal Bendesky has lost 261 pounds. He continues to follow a low calorie, plant-based diet, and runs half-marathons alongside running a group.

“My mission is to inspire others to become the healthiest and happiest version of themselves, one day at a time,” he said. He believes anyone can achieve life miracles through lifestyle transformation. “It’s not about age at all — it’s about your attitude. Attitude is like a flat tire: if you don’t fix it, you won’t go very far.”

Oh, as for the Brooklyn connection — yes there certainly is another one, The legendary sports executive Andy Dolich, who was born in Brooklyn, wrote a poem on Neal Bendesky’s journey. Dolich was president of the Memphis Grizzlies and worked his promotional magic with Charley Finley of the Oakland A’s. Here’s his poem:

I have a friend named Neal
He was living a life for a worm’s meal
To say at one time, he was fat
Would be a massive understatement of that
He spent most of his life in a land called over-ate
He once weighed-in at four-fifty
When his heart stopped beating at a regular rate
He decided to change his life swiftly
Here was a guy working in sports
On most days he couldn’t even put on his shorts
His life turned around when he lost two-sixty-one
These days you will find him, always on the run
He shared his story with many others
The 199 Guy is building a brand of healthy sisters and brothers

Go to www.the199guy.com and see Neal’s story to order his book. “Never2Late.”

Andy Furman is a Fox Sports Radio national talk show host. Previously, he was a scholastic sports columnist for the Brooklyn Eagle. He may b