A few years ago, Keith Rocheville stood on the edge of a great journey. He was out of shape and walking away from his second marriage. Two dreadful divorces strapped him with a great deal of child support. Rocheville endured a long spell of unemployment, and the St. Louis man thought life couldn’t get worse, but it did. Soon, he fell far enough behind in support payments that his state charged him with a felony. He lost his driver’s license and moved in with his parents at age 38. He was “depressed in the worst ways.”
Rocheville (who spoke with the Daily Mail) knew something must be done, but he’d spiraled so far away from stability that only drastic measures would work. His situation grew even worse after a shattered new relationship ended with the bitter ex calling in some “friends.” A bunch of “biker dudes” then gave him several broken ribs and a separated shoulder.
At that point, Rocheville was homeless and didn’t know where to go. He landed twice in a psychiatric hospital and couldn’t stop losing weight, going from a jolly physique to a shadow of his former self. As if by chance, he moved in with some friends who were “very health conscious.” He adopted their healthy habits by running and adopting a lean diet. He also began body-weight exercises, and the transformation began in earnest. Rocheville eventually took his 220lbs weight to 147lbs.
When Rocheville was approached by a man who runs Jefferson City’s Cage of Champions, the only answer was yes: “I had always admired MMA but I never thought I’d get to do it. The transformation for me has been surreal, I kinda feel like someone else.” He lost his first fight in by being “too eager to prove myself” and carrying “two years worth of emotion bottled up into walking into the octagon.” Now he’s training for his second time in the octagon, and he hopes to win this time. He’s already won in a huge way, and he’s kept a wicked sense of humor.
These days, Rocheville has a new trade, carpentry, and he’s back on track financially. He’s on good terms with his sons from his first marriage but still estranged from his two kids from the second wife. Despite lingering sadness, Rocheville says, “I am emotionally 200 per cent better. My spirit is in a good place, it’s just not the same without my kids to share it with.” Here are some more photos of his transformation.
