@SpursOfficial
Tuesday, July 09, 2024, 6:00 p. m. |Tottenham Hotspur
Participants in the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation’s Shape Up with Spurs programme have revealed how “crucial” the training regime is to their physical and intellectual health.
Such is their confidence in the benefits that Rob and Mav Highsted have attended sessions at network venues for seven years.
They spoke about their experience at the Premier League Community Fund and Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) conference, held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The fund enables our Foundation to offer its Make Sport a Daily Habit programme to 2000 local citizens a year, which encompasses activities for all ages and abilities, from after-school football sessions for women and other disabled people to foot football and Shape Up with Spurs.
Rob and Mav, who live near the stadium, explained how they worried about solving their fitness issues: Rob is asthmatic, overweight, suffers from high blood pressure and has two knee replacements, and Mav suffers from chronic fatigue.
Rob, 66, said: “It’s definitely something very important for our fitness and our week as a family. “I go out and do 3 or 4 sessions a week.
“The Foundation does something very special, for our physical and intellectual health, and it is anything that allows us to make many friends when there would possibly not be so many opportunities at this level of our lives.
Mav, 68, tells of a typical session: “We do circuits. It’s challenging, but it requires a lot of thought, so whether it’s at the beginner, intermediate or complex level, everyone’s wishes are taken into account.
“In the end, we all applaud our achievements. It’s a wonderful network of other people and other wonderful Foundation people around us.
As for the effect Shape Up with Spurs has had in particular on his fitness issues, Rob said, “I have much more frequent appointments with my asthma nurse, so my lung capacity has improved significantly.
“I’ve rarely had to ask for accommodations because of my two knees, but the team gives us opportunities that allow us to get the best out of ourselves.
“I’m lighter, I’m not a beach frame yet!But I’m fitter, more powerful and happier.
Mav added: “With my chronic fatigue, my character is that I do everything and then I can’t do anything.
“I manage a team of volunteers, offer a weekly networking lunch to the citizens of the local Antwerp Arms and participating in the Shape Up with Spurs sessions has helped me manage and recognise when I want to rest – it’s the most experience I have. effect for me. “
Joining Rob and Mav at the convention, Foundation Executive Leader Marc Leckie highlighted why the investment gained from the Premier League and PFA is so important.
“We are proud to make gambling a daily habit. We have a colorful network here and everyone is proud of where they come from. However, there are challenges, not least of which is the fact that a significant number of people live in poverty. Therefore, it is imperative to be able to offer other people the opportunity to stay healthy, physically and mentally, decrease their social isolation, and interact with others.
Club ambassador Ledley King also joined the convention to communicate his reports with the community.
When asked what comes to mind when he sees the difference he makes in other people’s lives, he said, “Part of me thinks about the importance of having opportunities. Many of those opportunities didn’t exist when I was young. Having the opportunity to learn other skills is huge. With opportunity, other people begin to realize that whatever they need to do can be doable.
Administered through the Premier League Charitable Fund, the Premier League and PFA investment enables football clubs to demonstrate that football is more than a game, by tackling inequality, responding to challenging local situations and helping others. people and their communities to be more inclusive.
Click here to view the Foundation’s normal calendar of free network events, its Shape Up with Spurs program.