Men turn fears into triumph

From left, Terence Jolley and Norman Mann are manning up with the Man Fit programme at Gold's Gym. 21 July 2015 Daily Post photograph by Stephen Parker.

A group of dedicated men are encouraging other men in Rotorua to Man Up with Man Fit and help turn their fears into life changing experiences.

The Man Up programme started 18 months ago as a support group to empower other men to overcome severe life issues and strengthen them to become better husbands, fathers, and leaders in their community.

Facilitator Rewi Hare says he and the seven other volunteers are deeply passionate about the Man Up programme, which has continued to gain momentum heading in to Man Fit.

"We saw a huge need in the community to do with depression, domestic violence and suicide. These situations predominantly involved men. So a group of men came together with a genuine passion to do something about it - to bring a solution to the problems happening within our community.

"So every Wednesday night we run the Man Up programme, which has three principles - the spiritual, the mental, and the physical. As part of the physical aspect of the programme, we created Man Fit, where the men are encouraged to come down to Golds Gym and train on a Thursday."

Rotorua father of two Norman Mann, 46, says there was a time he wouldn't have set foot in a gym, but now thanks to Man Up, he's changing his life.

"Personally, I wouldn't have come to a gym because I'm overweight.
It's an image thing, and I'm conscious that people might be staring at me because I might be doing things wrong. But what has evolved with Man Up is that it has given me the confidence to make changes in my life, and a big part of that was getting fit.

"We have created a brotherhood, a support team, and we have brought that with us to Man Fit. Now, rather than being worried about whether people are judging us, we are too busy supporting and motivating each other," he says.

"One of things we discussed at Man Up is that if we don't take of ourselves, who's going to take care of our family? It's not only the emotional side or the spiritual side, but the physical side that we need to take care of. I have a family, a queen and two princesses, and they have really been supporting me through this journey."

Norman's training partner 28-year-old Terence Jolley says he is more motivated than ever since starting Man Fit.

"We are both overweight, have the same personality, and we're both handsome. I've noticed that my fitness level has picked up a lot, my weight has come down, and I'm more motivated.

"Like Norm, I never wanted to come to the gym, because I thought people would laugh at me. I'm a big man. But then we got into this Man Fit and the motivation we give one another is awesome. We drive each other. Now we come almost every day."

To find out more about how to get involved in Man Up and Man Fit, call (07) 348 0905.