A passionate Sheffield Wednesday fan has launched a successful football fitness app after a rare cancer diagnosis encouraged him to become more active.
Lee Brown, a mental health community leader from Sheffield, created this new app to try and get football fans out and about after beginning to embrace the outdoors.
The app, called the ‘Virtual 92’, allows fans to use their daily exercise – whether that be walking, running or cycling – to tick off all 92 grounds on a virtual map up and down the country.
He said: “The positive outlook I had on my cancer battle and doing the fundraising got me into walking.
“It showed the benefits of physical and mental health of exercise. That’s where I got the idea from.”
Mr Brown was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Gist back in 2016 which left him with a tumour the size of a football in his stomach.
Even in spite of constant chemotherapy and multiple surgeries, his positivity remained thanks to a new-found love of walking and the outdoors.
It has even led to Lee raising £20,000 for Gist Cancer UK alongside raising an extra £100,000 for other local causes.
Through getting outdoors and being involved in fundraising after his cancer diagnosis, Mr Brown found a new lease of life.
He said: “I wasn’t a walker, I was a footballer. I had played football since I was eight-years-old at different levels and coached in America and Australia so I was an active person.
“I wasn’t into the actual walking though. That came about when I was struggling with my mental health. I got a love for it then and found virtual challenges.”
You can complete the over 2000 mile journey to check the grounds off whenever you want, something that keen runner and football fan David Bayley is attempting.
Running over 300 marathons in total, the 50 year old event organiser has found a new fun motivation using the Virtual 92 app.
He said: “I took up running in 2005 and was hooked instantly going on to run 355 marathons, including all 50 states, ten marathons in ten days on six occasions and 100 mile ultra events on four occasions.
“Having completed all my goals, I was struggling for motivation. The Virtual 92 has kept me motivated and kept me going out.”
Tim O’Hare, an associate professor at University of Plymouth, has also taken up the virtual 92 challenge with exercise positively impacting his life.
He said: “Running, walking and football are central parts of my life and it is hard to imagine life without them.
“Starting running in 2013 was the beginning of a long journey to self-discovery and since then I have been able to cope better with setbacks and stressful times.”
The app isn’t just geared towards marathon runners however, Lee Brown stressed that the app is inclusive and aims to get anyone out and about.
Working with Run End to End, who boast daring challenges such as a run, walk or cycle from Lands End to John O’Groat’s, a community of football and exercise fans have taken to Virtual92 with open arms.
To learn more about the Virtual 92 app, visit their website: https://virtual92.com/
