Kevin Schroeder could barely speak while recalling the Columbus Blue Jackets' season opener in October. The club had given the self-proclaimed "biggest fan" free tickets. Then, during an intermission, the overhead screen played a video tribute that showed Schroeder's transformation from the obese "Dancing Kevin" character who delighted fans with his bouncing belly for more than a decade to the buff guy he is today.

Kevin Schroeder could barely speak while recalling the Columbus Blue Jackets� season opener in October.

The club had given the self-proclaimed "biggest fan" free tickets. Then, during an intermission, the overhead screen played a video tribute that showed Schroeder's transformation from the obese "Dancing Kevin" character who delighted fans with his bouncing belly for more than a decade to the buff guy he is today.

In the stands, off came Schroeder's shirt as he showed off a few moves. The crowd gave him a standing ovation. Players slapped the ice with their sticks.

>> Video:Blue Jackets celebrate 'Dancing Kevin' weight loss

�That moved me,� Schroeder said this month, sobbing. �That really meant the world to me.�

Flashback to Dec. 14, 2015, when Schroeder was sitting on a couch, surrounded by empty fast-food bags. He weighed more than 370 pounds. He had isolated himself from his friends and was reaching the end of his rope.

�I was just wallowing in self-pity and fear, and I was gonna do one of two things,� he said. �I thought, �I�m just gonna give up and let nature take its course or I�m just gonna end it.� �

But something told him: "No. You're worthwhile. Fight. Call somebody. You have something to give."

"So I got up and, thankfully, I called a friend," Schroeder said.

Exactly one year later, Schroeder, 45, was at Lifetime Fitness on the Northwest Side, pushing himself through another brutal boot-camp workout. It wasn�t easy. And when he thought about taking a break, trainer Jack Skaggs would holler: �Move it! Move it!�

Gone was the Dancing Kevin who earned international fame for showing off his painted belly at Blue Jackets� games. And gone were more than 162 pounds, about 32 percent body fat and more than 2 feet of waistline. In fact, his physique and features have changed so drastically that people who know Schroeder often fail to recognize him.

Skaggs said Schroeder has the opportunity to inspire thousands of people who are in the same boat he was in.

"Anybody can do it," Skaggs said. "You just have to have the resolve and determination and persistence to not give up when you hit obstacles or any kind of barriers that are in the way."

Schroeder, who lives in Clintonville, measures his health with a variety of metrics.

His blood sugar has gone down. He can fit into new clothes. He can move his car seat forward. His sleep apnea is gone. He can sit in a lawn chair without fear of getting stuck or breaking it.

And he feels gratitude.

�You always heard that word,� he said, �but I started to live it.

"And everything good comes from gratitude � gratitude and humility � and I�m learning that and I�> > m working on that, and so this journey just keeps going and it just keeps getting better."

Schroeder also broke through the self-isolation after attending support groups and classes to address his binge-eating disorder. He�s enjoyed a zip-line course, picked up banjo playing and is learning how to be kind to himself.

"I found out that I'm not unique," he said. "And that�s huge and that�s powerful, because that means I'm not alone and there are people that understand and people that can relate to what I'm going through.

"That was very freeing, very amazing, and that started to really change my outlook."

He's had help along the way.

It started with that friend he called � the one who encouraged him to start a food journal and see a doctor who performed lab work pro bono.

Skaggs offered to train him for free, and he also got an assist from Papaya Fit packaged meals. The Blue Jackets gave him support, and he received a free membership to the OhioHealth McConnell Heart Health Center.

He takes boot camp, Zumba and hot yoga classes. He lifts weights, hikes and swims. He's reading and meditating more. And he plans to start speaking engagements about his health transformation.

Through it all, Schroeder has been given accountability by sharing his progress on social media and with The Dispatch. He's gotten inspiration from people facing their own health challenges. And he's discovered that he's provided inspiration to others, even people he's never met.

"That floored me," he said. "That got me going even more, because I felt like, 'I can't let these people down.' So I just kept working harder and harder."

The Blue Jackets are proud of his accomplishments.

�What Kevin has accomplished with his lifestyle transformation is remarkable," Todd Sharrock, vice president of communications and team services, said in a statement. "We were happy to support him during his journey and it seemed fitting to celebrate his inspiring story on opening night with our fans who have come to know him over the years.�

Schroeder still considers himself the team's biggest fan, but the Dancing Kevin schtick has come to an end.

�I kind of figured it would, and that�s totally fine,� Schroeder said.

jviviano@dispatch.com

@JoAnneViviano