Boxing: Sam Godfrey nominated for Unsung Hero award
He turned to his other passion in life, boxing, and not only did that decision change his direction, it has earned him a nomination to become the East Midlands Unsung Hero as part of this year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards.
Godfrey became a PE teacher at Merrill College, Alvaston, and, in those four years, he has developed the after-school boxing club he started from scratch into a pioneering group for helping young people that may be duplicated nationwide.
Not only has the 27-year-old been teaching students basic boxing skills, he has encouraged many of them to teach others through the Sports Leaders scheme.
They were the first in the country to do this with boxing but expansion plans mean they soon may not be the only ones.
That is a long way from his former life but he says he has no regrets at all about making the change.
"I had an antiques business and I also had an auction house at Matlock," he said. "It was going well but it took up a lot of my time and I had a little girl who I was not seeing at all. That's when I decided to give it up and go for something new.
"My dad was a maths teacher at Merrill College and he said there was a supply teacher position coming up. I went for it and got offered the job. Within six months, I had organised boxing after school and it went from there.
"We had no boxing equipment at all at first and I had to pay money out of my own pocket to get it started but now we have better funding and we have everything you could need in a boxing gym."
Godfrey, who still competes as an amateur for the One Nation club in Normanton that he helps to run, took up boxing at the age of 12 and says it is a sport with unique qualities.
"Without boxing, I would not have had the opportunities I have had and it makes me feel young, energetic and healthy," he added.
"Boxing offers a lot more than beating somebody up, It's about fitness, improving confidence and self-esteem, discipline and balance.
"All my classes for children are non-contact and are about getting fit, enjoying yourself and learning new skills."
Passing on his passion for boxing has, however, meant a lot of hard work and this is what has earned Godfrey his unsung hero nomination.
"My day starts when I open the gym at school at 7am," he said. "I teach from nine to three and then I run an after-school club every day until five.
"Three times a week, I take training at the One Nation gym until eight and then I do a bit of personal training or train myself until nine and I will eventually get home about 10.
"It does get me a lot of hassle at home because I know I am never there at the moment. I have two young children and I have to make sure I spend as much quality time as I can with them and my girlfriend, Sarah, at the weekends.
"I'm doing this for our future and, hopefully, all this hard work will pay off when I open my own gym in Chaddesden in January.
"I do at least 20 hours a week that I don't get paid for but I do it because I want to help kids and adults succeed in life.
"Of course, you feel tired sometimes but there's no point me turning up to do a club if I'm looking flat. You've got to have a smile on your face and be positive and encouraging because other people feed off you and if you are giving it everything, so will they.
"You do think to yourself 'there must be easier ways to live your life' but when you see kids get their sports leaders awards and you get positive results from kids who you know would not be achieving them without you, that's when you know it is worthwhile.
"I was chuffed to bits when I heard I'd been nominated for this award and that makes the effort worth it even more."
The winner of the Unsung Hero award will be announced at the BBC East Midlands Sport Awards at Loughborough University on Thursday.
The winner will then go on to the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards in Sheffield on December 13, along with 14 other regional finalists.
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