Description

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Dave Letele’ s incredible life has taken him from footy to failure, crime to community, fat to fit and riches to rags -- and back again.
Today, he is an award-winning community leader and life coach who, as the face of Buttabean Motivation, helps literally thousands of ordinary people achieve their goals. He provides targeted health and fitness programmes, helps young people find jobs, and runs a foodshare for those in need.
But it wasn’ t always like that.
He has overcome poverty, obesity, intergenerational trauma, depression, the lure of a life of crime and his own demons.
Like Dave says, “ I’ ve been at the bottom and I’ ve been at the top, and everywhere in between … If I can do it, you can. No excuses.”
This is his story.

About the Author

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Acommunity leader, life coach and motivational speaker based in Tamaki Makaurau, Auckland. Born the son of Auckland Mongrel Mob leader Big Dave Letele, He played representative rugby league in New Zealand and Australia, and achieved notoriety as heavyweight boxer The Brown Buttabean. Today, Dave delivers targeted health, nutrition, and fitness programmes, youth employment programmes, runs the BBM Foodshare, and fundraises and advocates on behalf of communities in need. He won the 2022 Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero Of the Year Award