Members of Leeds Rhinos Foundation’s ‘Try Club’ in partnership with Leeds Public Health received an inspiring visit from weight loss success story Sean Rowel-Burton, as part of a special half way point workshop at Leeds Futsal Arena, with the group taking part in their mid-programme measurements and weigh-ins.
Members of the Try Club programme, who have been working with Leeds Rhinos Foundation Health Improvement Officer Stephen Turrell and Project Officer Adam Lunn over the past six weeks, met with Sean who spoke to the group about his inspiring life transformation over the past 12 months.
Sean, who lost over 10 stone taking his weight from 22st down to just over 12st through his own personal weight loss journey, explained the process involved in his calorie counting and exercise led lifestyle change, which led to him becoming a healthier, happier and better role model for his 5 year-old son.
The talk provided an opportune lift for the group, who were undertaking their mid-point weigh-ins during the session, to see their progress over the six weeks and any impact of the diet and exercise advice they had been putting into practice inside and outside of the sessions.
With the entire group receiving some positive news about reaching some of their personal goals for the first tests since the start of the programme in terms of their measurements and fitness test scores, Sean was on hand to see the benefits of the free health management course first hand:
“What the guys are going through is absolutely tremendous, I’ve said to them that I did it all on my own but if something like this would have been available 17 months ago, it would have made it so much easier for me” said Sean.
“Over the past two years I made a substantial change to my life, 17 months ago I was 22 stone, so I can totally relate to what the guys are going through.
The programme, which works through a 12-week block of sessions aimed at providing advice and assistance for better health management, covers all areas of diet and exercise including workshops on goal setting, food labels, portion size, fitness principles, alchohol, hydration, salt and fibre and good diet practice.
Sean, who now works with pupils at East Leeds Academy, where he uses his story to inform young people about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, commented on the appeal of programmes like Try Club:
“I would have loved to have come to something like this and had a little bit more information and probably wouldn’t have failed as much as I did along the way, the guys I have met tonight are absolutely fantastic.
“From what I’ve seen tonight, the programme looks really well run and well set up and speaking to people involved the Leeds Rhinos Foundation are hoping to keep this going, and as an outsider coming in I really hope they do, as it will be really beneficial to these people that are doing it, I think these 12 weeks could really set these guys up to follow it on afterwards as they have a great starting block that 17 months ago I would have loved.”
Speaking about meeting Sean, Try Club member Alan Vickers commented:
“It absolutely blew me away, to think Sean had lost all that weight, he is a young guy and he is in good shape and everything else, but where you see where he has been I found it very inspiring.”
For more information on Try Club and signing up for a future programme contact. Stephen.Turrell@leedsrhinosfoundation.org
For a video of the session see below: