Weight Loss
Harrison races throughout the World with a little bit assist from MAN v FAT
Apr
In the event you’re a MAN v FAT member based mostly within the north west, you would possibly effectively have completed a double take while watching this yr’s Race In opposition to The World sequence on the BBC.
One of many groups featured on this yr’s sequence – which sees contestants aiming to journey over 12,000km – contains Harrison Devine and his sister Katie.
Harrison is an extended standing member of our implausible MAN v FAT Warrington neighborhood and he and his sister will likely be travelling throughout Europe and Asia, the biggest continental space on earth.
The route carves by means of eight distinctive nations: Italy, Greece, Türkiye, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia – every bringing its personal language, tradition and local weather.
In essentially the most excessive race up to now, circumstances swing from 30-degree Mediterranean warmth to subarctic temperatures of –20°C. And so they’ve obtained to do all of it on a finances of lower than £26 per individual per day.
Harrison is probably going well-known to MAN v FAT golf equipment within the north, having picked up XIs Participant of the Yr in 2024 as a consequence of his prolific goalscoring. He additionally featured in our Superb Losers sport at Leyton Orient, having misplaced over 30% of his beginning physique weight on the programme.
With the present at present airing on the BBC, we caught up with Harrison to learn how the story unfolded for him, each with MAN v FAT and on the TV present.
Do you assume your time with MAN v FAT helped put together you for Race Throughout the World?
Sure positively. MAN v FAT has given a lot, not simply by way of being bodily fitter, however being mentally stronger and devoted, as effectively growing my confidence. While being away on the Race, you must consistently work together with individuals and it takes a variety of confidence to go up and converse to strangers figuring out that there’s going to be a language barrier or that they may not give you the option that can assist you.
MAN v FAT instils a way of self esteem again into you as you’re employed laborious to really feel higher about your self, extra comfy in your personal pores and skin and that offers you extra confidence to go and converse to individuals and never fear about what they could consider you.
Had been there moments within the race the place your health journey gave you a bonus?
I’d prefer to assume we deliberate effectively sufficient that we by no means caught having to run for a prepare or bus, however the Race itself is an 8-week journey, so it consistently assessments you bodily. I imply, you’re carrying round a 20kg rucksack more often than not, so it’s an excellent job I’ve misplaced 45kg within the first place in any other case my knees would have been in a world of bother!
Did your MAN v FAT expertise affect the way you dealt with challenges or setbacks?
Weight reduction usually isn’t a continuing linear development. You will have your ups and downs, and as males who clearly love that further little bit of foods and drinks, it’s troublesome to not let one or two dangerous weeks develop into one or two dangerous months. I personally discover it very straightforward to say after a foul weekend calorie smart, ah sod it, I’ll have already put weight on, so I’ll double down and never get again on the well being kick till the subsequent weigh in, however you be taught that’s not the perspective to have.
You must perceive that there will likely be setbacks however look to a extra long-term view whereby one dangerous day of energy doesn’t have an effect on your week or month. That was fairly much like the Race, sure one or two issues can go dangerous on a leg of racing, however so long as you do most issues proper (Discover low cost lodging, don’t blow the finances on costly meals and drinks, don’t miss your transport) then total you ought to be in an excellent place!
MAN v FAT has modified my life. It has modified who I’m as an individual, my pursuits, my hobbies, my friendships, and my life-style. It’s a neighborhood I’m extremely proud and honoured to be part of because it’s not simply your personal story, it’s everybody else round you that’s equally as inspiring.
So to symbolize MAN v FAT on nationwide TV means lots to me. I’m hoping it spreads the phrase in order that different males who had been in my scenario hear about MAN v FAT and provides themselves the chance to alter their very own lives by signing as much as it.
I say this to everybody, apply for the present and see what occurs. It’s one of the best factor I’ve ever completed… and doubtless will ever do. I wrestle to place into phrases how cool the entire expertise was.
How do you hope your story will influence others who could also be battling their weight or confidence?
When signing as much as Race Throughout the World, certainly one of my greatest hopes was that my story would be capable of attain a wider viewers and assist different males shed some pounds and enhance their confidence.
I really feel a completely totally different individual from the person I used to be 3 or 4 years in the past once I joined MAN v FAT. Attending to a weight and confidence stage the place you not sit in public readjusting your t-shirt each few seconds, or not desirous to eat at a pal’s BBQ for concern of judgement, is such a surreal feeling for us males who’ve all the time felt that method, and it’s genuinely releasing.
I joined MAN v FAT with the intention of simply desirous to play soccer once more. I had all the time been a much bigger lad and by no means knew it was doable for me to be something totally different. I then began to lose a little bit little bit of weight and have become in a short time encapsulated by it and getting fitter. For any males studying this who assume they’ll by no means shed some pounds and that you just had been born to be massive, that was me earlier than MAN v FAT. Simply give it a go and see how far you may push your self.
Are there any new objectives or challenges you can be setting your self?
I’m all the time trying to enroll to new occasions and challenges. I lately ran my first Marathon in April 2026 so possibly trying to do one other a kind of, however I’d prefer to see if there’s a method I can mix my new love of journey with health as effectively. Possibly a 10km run in each nation in Europe… one thing daft like that!
