Meet Marcel Feller from the MAN v FAT Soccer membership in Bury. Marcel joined MAN v FAT Soccer in February of 2024, when the membership launched, greedy a possibility to deal with weight reduction, and reignite a ardour for enjoying the gorgeous sport.
Discussing the twists of destiny that led him to him dusting off his boots, Marcel explains: “Soccer was the whole lot to me rising up. I spent each spare minute both on the pitch or watching matches. I began taking part in once I was 4 and though I dreamed of being outfield, I rapidly discovered myself in objective. I went on to play as a goalkeeper for native, faculty, and even regional squads.
“After I was 15, I used to be recognized with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. It brought on soccer to slowly begin to fade into the background. Throughout chemotherapy, my focus shifted to the pc and it grew to become one of many few issues that saved me going. That path ultimately led me right into a rewarding profession in cyber safety, but it surely additionally meant lengthy hours sitting at a desk. Over time, with soccer gone from my life, the burden naturally crept on.”
You would possibly suppose that overcoming most cancers would make the rest appear straightforward, however Marcel discovered himself struggling to shift the burden he placed on over time. He provides: “I attempted all the standard fixes; weight-reduction plan, the fitness center, train plans, however nothing caught. I knew I wanted to make a change, and I genuinely needed to, however I couldn’t discover the proper approach to make it occur.”
This was when MAN v FAT got here into play for Marcel. He continues: “I had heard about MAN v FAT years earlier than, however I saved placing it off. I didn’t wish to be a part of a longtime membership and really feel just like the ‘new man’ who couldn’t final greater than a few minutes on the pitch.
“Then someday, I noticed a Fb advert for a brand-new membership opening in Bury. That felt completely different as everybody can be beginning recent collectively. I signed up straight away, and for the primary time in a very long time, I felt relaxed about giving soccer one other go.”
Coming to the Bury membership, Marcel didn’t simply discover fellow footballers, he discovered a supportive, pleasant, and welcoming group. He says: “The group and help community have been superb. Everyone seems to be so encouraging, whether or not issues are going properly or not, there’s all the time positivity from teammates and coaches. That fixed help has made an enormous distinction all through my journey.
“Being a part of the group actually boosted my psychological well being, I now not felt alone in my weight reduction journey. Everyone seems to be supportive and sharing ideas with one another, which made me really feel like we had been all in it collectively.
“It has had such an impression on me that I even shared my MAN v FAT journey throughout one in every of my staff displays at work. Afterwards, one in every of my colleagues reached out as he had been interested by becoming a member of however wasn’t positive. A number of weeks later, he signed up and has already been making nice progress. In abstract: The group makes all of the distinction.
“MAN v FAT has undoubtedly had a big impact on my life-style. It has been an effective way to shed weight with out it feeling like a chore. In contrast to the fitness center, it doesn’t really feel compelled, the main target is on weight reduction, however the weekly video games make the method satisfying and one thing to sit up for. I additionally actually just like the weekly check-ins; having the ability to see my progress in actual time has saved me motivated and accountable.
“I’ve additionally modified my relationship with meals. The monitoring has helped me turn into extra aware of what I eat with out chopping out the issues I take pleasure in. I nonetheless deal with myself to takeaways and quick meals from time to time, however I’ve discovered a steadiness that works for me. “Health-wise, the distinction has been unbelievable. After I first joined, I struggled to run in any respect, however over time my health picked up. I by no means considered myself as a runner, however I’ve actually began having fun with it. Now, I’ve run two 5k races, and each of my medals are proudly on show.”
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