Why did you seek our MAN v FAT’s support in the first place?
Honestly, never the football. It was always about the support structure, about people being present. I’d never been able to do it on my own and my good mate recommended MAN v FAT and talked about the team structure. Before joining, I felt stuck – I had tried other things on my own but always struggled to stay motivated. My mate’s recommendation came at just the right time. He explained how the team structure works, and it sounded like something I could finally commit to. It wasn’t about the football for me but about finding the kind of support I knew I needed.
Talk to us about why MAN v FAT has been such an important part of your life
It has become such a huge part of my social network. I have the privilege of working with 200 guys every week, across two amazing leagues, hundreds more across the Welsh region and remotely and at MAN v FAT events I’ve met some of the most inspiring people ever. The friendships and connections I’ve made form such a supportive network that influence my life in a far wider way than just meeting once a week for a game of footy. One moment that stands out to me was my club, MAN v FAT Newport, winning the national tournament. It reminded me of how much this programme is about more than weight loss – it’s about building confidence and community. Every week, I see people overcoming personal struggles and supporting each other in ways I never imagined.
How has it changed your current future health and wellbeing?
I now have the skills and knowledge to be more in control of what I think. I have the ability to turn on my own self management strategies and a huge support with my own mental well-being. There is also a huge community to lean upon behind you. I’m off tablets I never thought I’d be off, more active than I ever was and have a much wider friendship group.
How proud are you of what you have built in MAN v FAT’s Welsh community?
The Welsh community is everything to me. Wales is a vast country with, even now, a tiny representation of MAN v FAT clubs. In 2018, we had one club in Cardiff with 32 guys. If truth be told we were quite isolated. It took us until 2020 to get a second club in Newport and then Swansea, Merthyr and Bridgend can quickly after that. Wrexham then completed our current cohort and what was a handful of guys in 2018 is well over 600 today.Working together as a Welsh region isn’t just enjoyable, it’s a necessity. Support for coaches can be almost instant within our Wales-wide staff WhatsApp. We can bounce ideas off each other and get feedback and support for projects we are running. I’ve lost count of the number of times someone has been able to support either a coach or a player from another league remotely. This level of support benefits all members and also benefits the coaches.We’ve also got a diversity of knowledge and skills within the group. I get to work with some of the most inspirational people as well. We have 5 awesome coaches and 14 amazingly talented assistant coaches and I believe you’ll have to go some to find something someone hasn’t encountered. A side effect of this is as a region we always have someone to lean on when things are tough. The night you are feeling ill, but can just about get through the session, someone could help with your write up or check a milestone query rather than you log back on, when you’re going through a bit of a mental health moment and need some practical support you can let others take the driving wheel and when you’re thinking of doing something new you can ask someone if they have a template or a prebuilt WhatsApp message so you don’t have to start from scratch.
Why do you think MAN v FAT works as a programme to support men of all ages?
It works because it’s male tailored support. Blokes think differently and work differently. Without pigeon-holing us all into a narrow group, I do think there are common things we all experience as guys. The fact that we are able to share a common experience makes a massive difference. We have some of the most fantastic female coaches working within MAN v FAT who care massively about the guys they look after and foster spaces where guys can share. Obviously, making weight-loss a game instantly keys guys into a level of healthy competition. It works because it speaks to men where they are. We’ve had older guys who hadn’t played football in years find joy in the game again, and younger men who’ve never had a support network finally feel seen and heard. The competitive aspect, combined with tailored coaching and shared experiences, makes it unique. A lot of men aren’t comfortable talking about struggles, but MAN v FAT breaks down those barriers in a way that feels natural.
Sum up MAN v FAT and its community in three words
Community, Support, ConnectionsCymuned, Cefnogaeth, Cysylltiadau
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