Daniel Nabipour (27) has teamed up with Holmesfield's dad-of-three Toby Lee (39) to help him get in gear for the Dronfield 10K later this month.

Toby, his wife Angie (35) and three children Sam (14) Georgia (12) and Acer (seven), have all been upping their exercise levels and making small changes to their diet in a bid to get healthier.

And after working out at the gym regularly, Toby became pals with Dan who has been into body building and keeping fit since he was 19.

Dan, of Dronfield, said having someone else to train with kept you motivated and helped on the days when you were not feeling in the mood.

"I've known Toby about six months now after we just started chatting in the Dronfield Leisure Centre gym," said the law graduate.

"He was asking me for a few tips on different routines, diet and nutrition so I gave him a bit of advice here and there. "He's really stuck at it and now it's paying off."

Toby and his family have been taking part in the "Get Active, Get A Life!" challenge with the Derbyshire Times and Derbyshire County Primary Care Trust for almost six months.

Angie and the children are to run the Dronfield Fun Run while Toby, who is classed as obese because his Body Mass Index is above 30, will tackle the 10k or 6.2 mile run.

After months of building up his fitness levels the dad can now comfortably run at least five miles on the road.

He put some of his success down to Dan whom he said gave him confidence and helped him see through the gym stereotype people often fear.

"It's so much better when you're with someone else," he said. "The nice thing I've found through working and training with Dan is that a lot of people might look at him and think he wouldn't want to help someone like me - but that's not the case.

"Dan's the nicest guy and has always been willing to listen to my concerns or help out with my regime - his tips have been invaluable."

Dan, who has lived in Dronfield for 13 years after four years living in Iran, has degrees in film studies and law but is getting ready to forge a business as a personal trainer.

He said: "I just think everyone should give exercise a go and stick at it for a while. A lot of people come to the gym because they feel guilty over Christmas. They come for a few weeks but then go back to their old routine.