In his late-20's Canberra sprinter Adam Farlow was smoking and drinking heavily, leaving athletics behind as a distant memory from his junior years.
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But his life changed completely when a mate told him they should get back into athletics.
Farlow hadn't raced since he was 19 when he gave athletics away to move into the workforce, making masters athletics the perfect scene to end an 11-year hiatus.
He won his first heat and suddenly the fire had been reignited, and little over four years later he cleaned up at the World Masters Games in New Zealand with six gold medals and one silver.
Farlow claimed gold in the 100 metre, 200m, 400m, 4 x 100m relay, 4 x 400m relay, and high jump events in the 30-34 year old age group, while capping things off with a silver in long jump last month.
The 34-year-old says before his returned to athletics he was "leading a destructive lifestyle", and it was his wife Rachelle and another taste of success in the sport he loved that saved him.
"It just reminded me of my childhood, all those great years that I had making national teams," Farlow said.
"I just totally knuckled down, I quit smoking, I completely stopped drinking. I was about 100 kilos at the time, whereas now I'm down to a pretty good race weight between 80 and 82 kilograms.
"It just changed my whole lifestyle. If it wasn't for that mate, I'm not actually sure I'd be where I am today."
To put the icing on the cake, Farlow and Canberra teammate Jonathan Stefaniak were part of the Australian team that shattered the Australian (age 30-34) record in the 4 x 400m relay.
Farlow didn't stop there, anchoring the 4 x 100m relay team to an Australian (age 30-34) record - but writing his name into the history books would be impossible without his wife Rachelle.
She's there at all of Farlow's race meets - even when the temperature plummets during the cold Canberra winter.
"Without my wife it wouldn't be possible," Farlow said.
"It's just the little things that people forget as well. I come home from training at like 7pm at night and my dinner is ready, all my gear is washed.
"I think in a lot of ways it's changed me as a person as well. I'm more dedicated, I'm committed, I'm reliable.
"That's come over from not only my sporting life but my own personal life. Whether that be building a strong marriage or being successful in my career, or being reliable to family members when they need help.
"I don't think I'll ever stop now, I'll just keep running for as long as I can because of how much it's changed me as a person."
