John Weatherbed from Newport was just 14 years old when he smoked his first cigarette. Like many people of his generation, smoking quickly became part of everyday life. It wasn’t something unusual. It was normal.

Over the years, that early experiment turned into a heavy addiction. At his peak, John was smoking up to 60 cigarettes a day.

“For years, smoking was just what I did,” John says. “It was there in the background of everything.”

Tina’s journey began a little later. She was 18 when she took up smoking, and her reason might sound familiar to many.

“I realised that the people I worked with who smoked got more breaks than I did,” Tina says. “So I joined them.”

What started as a way to fit in soon became routine. Cigarettes shaped their days, their habits, and their finances for decades.

Then came the moment that changed everything.

A Wake-Up Call After a Family Celebration

Twelve years ago, John and Tina attended their grandchild’s christening. It was a joyful day surrounded by family. The following day, they reflected on how much they had smoked.

Between them, they had gone through around 200 cigarettes in just one day.

It was a stark realisation.

“That was it for me,” John says. “I looked at what we’d done and thought, this can’t carry on.”

The day after the christening, John made the decision to quit.

Life After Smoking

Since quitting, John says his life has completely transformed.

“My breathing is so much better and I’m doing things now I’d never have done before. I’m even signed up for the Snowdonia Marathon this autumn!”

At 66, John now volunteers at Tredegar House Parkrun, giving back to his community and supporting others to get active. Training for the Snowdonia Marathon Eryri 2025 is something he never imagined possible during his years as a heavy smoker.

Quitting did not just improve his lung function. It changed how he sees himself.

Smoking once limited what he believed he could do.

Now, he is setting himself challenges that push those limits further than ever before.

Tina’s Next Chapter

Tina has also moved forward. She is now a volunteer Run Director for Junior Parkrun at Tredegar House, helping children build confidence and enjoy being active.

She has stopped smoking cigarettes and is gradually reducing her nicotine use.

“I’m still using vapes, but I’m cutting down my nicotine all the time,” she says. “I’m determined to get there.”

For Tina, quitting smoking opened doors beyond health alone.

“Since we stopped spending all that money on cigarettes, we’ve been on amazing holidays and trips. We’ve been to places and seen things we never would have before.”

The money that once disappeared into cigarette packets now goes towards experiences, travel, and memories.

More Than Just Quitting

For John and Tina, stopping smoking was not just about giving something up. It was about gaining something back.

More breath.
More energy.
More freedom.
More life.

Their story is proof that it is never too late to quit, and that the benefits can stretch far beyond what you expect.

Whether it is running a marathon, volunteering in your community, travelling to new places, or simply breathing easier each day, change is possible.

If you are thinking about quitting, support is available. You do not have to do it alone.

Free NHS support is available from Help Me Quit Wales.

Freephone 0800 085 2219
Text HMQ to 80818
Visit helpmequit.wales