Scott Britton had a difficult start in life, but was able to improve his outlook through being physically active. Now on a constant quest to better himself, and the lives of others, this chiselled charity worker from Manchester, England, is the brains and brawn behind Battle Cancer fitness events and splits his time between the beaches of Devon in his home country, and the more tropical climates of Miami, FL.
Here, in a frank conversation with M&F, the 36-year-old inspiration explains how a love of raising his heart rate made all the difference to his future, and why the fitness community is a significant from of support for those with all types of challenges.
“I had a mixture of physical abuse from my father, and very psychological abuse from my mother,” shares Britton, whose father left home while he was only thirteen. “You find that it’s not until you are a little older, and you see other families and meet friends’ parents, you realize what you have at home is not normal and not acceptable. Growing up with a mixture of fear and learning to spot the impending moments of violence, and trying to avoid them, becomes very normal to you.”
Being a teenager in a turbulent home was difficult enough without feeling insecurities around his weight, but with little education around nutrition from his parents, and no encouragement or money to participate in organized sports, Britton soon found himself feeling “chunky.” Fortunately, he ran 100 and 200m races at school, where he became part of a young committee trying to promote fitness, and even found solace in Muay Thai.
“I got lean very quickly,” he recalls of sweating it out in those early sessions. “Within a few months it was noticeable, and it came at a time when my body was changing, so this was a great companion to the natural process of puberty kicking in. I saw quickly: If I work hard, change can happen and this has stayed with me to this day.”
Scott Britton
Scott Britton Learned that Change is Possible with Hard Work
When Britton’s local Muay Thai gym closed down, he moved to a new location and met a man that would soon become his mentor, a bodybuilder named Paul George. It was here that Britton learned his way around a gym, cleaning it in return for membership. George didn’t just teach the young upstart about weights, but he took him under his wing and became an important and supportive friend to boot.
Finally leaving home at the age of 16, Britton packed his bag and with no money and not even a birth certificate, and began to make his way in the world. A bright lad, he studied criminology and sociology at Salford University, working three different jobs to sustain himself with no loans or financial support to fall back on.
After Uni, Britton spent time as a police man and reconnected with his mentor Paul George, who had now transitioned form body building to powerlifting. Britton followed in George’s footsteps once again, and as a powerlifter, won multiple British titles and even the European championship. At the same time, Britton was also launching his Battle Cancer movement, a project that was close to his heart having had friends and family who suffered with the disease.
When Battle Cancer really began to take off, the extra demands on his time meant that he had to put the barbell down and step away from active competition for the greater good, but he’s never far away from a gym.
Scott Britton has Turned Battle Cancer into a Global Event
There’s plenty of competition to be had at Battle Cancer events where teams compete and raise money for great causes. The fire was first lit for the concept back in 2016 when Britton and a team of friends raised £35,000 ($44,800) for charity by deadlifting a big old boat. The challenges then morphed into a larger, CrossFit based competition with participants all around the world.
Nowadays, he has sponsorship support from brands like Nike and WHOOP. Britton also has a close partnership with Myprotein. “Having a personal partnership with Myprotein is a huge thing to me,” he explains. “I remember my first ever protein supplement was from Myprotein. These days, my supplements are very regimented and I couldn’t exist without my daily Clear Whey Isolate or Impact Whey. Britton is also excited that Myprotein are getting more into the endurance sports space, because in addition to growing the Battle Cancer movement, he’s also planning to cycle across America and enter the CrossFit Games for himself.
Not bad for a troubled kid from a difficult background. The tenacious athlete and fitness magazine cover star has also become known for his body art, and tells M&F that every tattoo reminds him of where he was in life when he got each one inked. “One of my favourites is my portrait of Bill Murray from the Christmas film, Scrooge,” he shares. “It gets some crazy reactions!”
It seems like Britton, who has also developed a charity that supports post-cancer patients with fully funded fitness programs has now become a mentor in his own right, supporting people with cancer, and also those who just find themselves in a dark place like he experienced for himself. A positive force, Britton says that the key to helping people through life’s inevitable challenges is all about active listening,
“The small wins, and having people keep you on track with them, is how you can slowly change your mindset and gain perspective of the wider world outside of your immediate thoughts,” says the change maker. “This can be just logging that you are going for a walk that day, to win in at least one thing you set out to do, and then build slowly from the darkness to lighter, and edge into spending more time with people. Make more positive life choices and start a healing process.” Through fitness, Scott Britton learned lifechanging lessons, and you can too.
