The Brightside: F3, Faith, Fitness, & Fellowship
MILTON, Del. – Faith Fitness and Fellowship, or F3 for short is a national movement aimed at planting, growing, and serving small workout groups for men to invigorate leadership in the male community. “You know 5:15 a.m. seems awful early, but 5:15 to 6, all in all, done, the rest of the day is ready to go,” says Chris Lovenguth, a member of a local chapter of F3.
Early Risers like Lovenguth, among thousands of other men, wake up before the sun to be a part of what’s called F3; A group geared towards the betterment of men. “It’s grown to 4,200 chapters across the world I think they’re on every continent now,” says John Mollura, a member and team lead. He adds, “It’s always free, open to all men, it’s always outside, the guys always lead it, and it ends in a circle of trust.”
Originally established 12 years ago by a veteran, each group creates a fitness component and a safe space for men. “You can press yourself a lot more, things that you couldn’t do before, guys push you and when you have other guys helping you out, pushing you, you can go a lot further,” says Lovenguth. Dallas Reynolds, another member adds, “Peer pressure to get up early and come out here, and once you do it’s like an addiction, you’re going to keep coming back here I promise you.”
Through body-weight calisthenics workouts, men of all abilities can join at their local chapter with a group of guys with one mission in mind; Creating a powerful brotherhood, and creating a healthy brotherhood goes beyond just their fitness goals. “Some of the guys are in phenomenal physical shape it’s just the mental well-being to come out and get things off your shoulders,” says Reynolds. Chris Silvestre, another member adds, “I think guys get in their heads all day. They have this lone wolf mentality where it’s them against the world and a lot of the stuff in their head just kind of builds up.”
Mollura tells 47 ABC, the camaraderie found in F3 is unlike anything he’s been a part of. They’re getting fit, breaking stigmas, and creating healthier-minded men
with every single work-out they do. He says “It’s great to have some place you can go and say hey I’m struggling with this or also to celebrate. A lot of times, guys are so mission focused, whatever that mission is, family, job, whatever they’re just onto the next thing, they think mission accomplished, they don’t take time to celebrate.”
Celebrating the small wins of life is a concept Mollura and other members in the group make it a point to focus on, all while lifting each other up along the way. “You know to push myself at this age at 40 something and just keep pushing and running and doing all the outdoor workouts in the cold and just really pushing myself is something I never thought that I would do,” says Silvestre. Reynolds goes on to say, “This group of guys out here, they really they’re in your circle, you can tell them about anything. You know what happens in the group stays within the group.”
While this is one chapter, there are multiple throughout Delmarva. It is just for men, but regardless of athletic ability, or belief, the group is designed to be a support system for men.
Visit F3Nation.com to find your local chapter.
