GERALD WASHINGTON left behind a life in the military and dreams of the NFL to start chasing a boxing career at the age of 30.
Now 41, the former world title challenger remains a fixture in major heavyweight fight nights.
He returns at the O2 Arena on Saturday night against Derek Chisora as his remarkable life tale readies for another chapter.
Washington told SunSport: "I've been riding a beautiful wave of life.
"I turned professional, worked my way up to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world.
"Was I ever expecting that in my life, to be able to start at 30 and be able to fight for a championship? No.
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"But I was able to and I'm still in the game, competing at the highest level.
"I'm grateful to be here and it's going to be an exciting fight on Saturday."
Washington enlisted into the US navy at 18 and served four years.
He worked as a helicopter mechanic, stationed in San Diego, California and also served on a support and rescue squadron.
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Washington credits his time in the military for helping pave the way for what was to come later on in his life.
He said: "I was in during 9/11, it was a very hectic time, a lot of chaos going on.
"It was a very disruptive time in the world in that particular time when I went in.
"But I was able to learn a lot, take a lot of life experiences from that and I was able to apply that to my life."
Washington was then recruited to play college football and was an NJCAA All-American tight end.
From there he spent time with the Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills practise NFL squads – before realising his future lied in the ring.
He said: "After I went to college, I signed with the Buffalo Bills in 2009.
"I was able to go over there to OTAs (organised team activities) and stuff like that.
"But soon after that I started boxing, doing some training and I decided that I wanted to pursue boxing instead.
"I liked the one-man aspect of it, everything falls and ends on me on the work that I put in and I was willing to work.
"I chose boxing, I boxed as a kid and I'm glad and grateful that I was able to grow into this beautiful body of mine, 6'6 and 250lb."
Washington boxed briefly as a boy with ten amateur bouts to his name but he realised his talent and passion for the sweet science in sparring.
He revealed: "Boxing was always in my heart.
"I played football because I was able to run fast and have fun with it. But boxing was my sport, that was always in my heart.
"I grew up watching Julio Cesar Chavez, I watched Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson, I grew up watching a lot of the greats and I always wanted to go out there and see what I could do.
"When I was doing football training, I started boxing, I sparred a couple of time put a couple of guys down and I felt what it felt like to be in the ring and I wanted to do it more."
Washington had four more amateur bouts before turning professional at 30, winning his 2012 debut by KO.
Just 20 fights and five years later, he found himself challenging for Deontay Wilder's WBC belt.
It ended in a fifth-round stoppage loss and Washignton would go on to become one of the most recognisable faces in the division.
He faced Jarrell Miller, Adam Kownacki and Anthony Joshua's Saturday night opponent Robert Helenius.
And he also sparred the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, AJ, Wilder, Oleksandr Usyk and even Chisora, who he fights on Joshua's undercard.
Helenius, 39, has filled in for Dillian Whyte, 35, who was taken off the bill due to a failed drug test.
Washington was considered but later overlooked as a substitute – although the American vowed to get his chance eventually.
He said: "We were ready to go. We've been working for a long time now and we was ready to go to put it together.
"But, they chose Robert Helenius and we'll get him next time."
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