FITNESS, FELLOWSHIP & FAITH (F3) Building a Community and Making a Difference in Men’s Lives Story by Katrice Williams Photography by Emily Roscher
F
rancois Hugon has been part of the “Fitness, Fellowship & Faith” (F3) Coastal Empire team for five years. It has been a tremendous asset to him with benefits that have transcended the realm of fitness into other facets of his life. “It comes off as a workout group, and we do a lot of working out. At the end of the day, it’s a leadership organization that works to build better community leaders out of men. It helps men identify their purpose a little more,” Francois says. As a husband and father of two, he strives to be a good leader in his family as well as his community, which is what F3 is largely all about. The now international organization began in 2011 in Charlotte, NC. It was started by Tim “OBT” Whitmire and David “Dredd” Redding, a former U.S. Green
26 April/May 2022 | www.EFFINGHAMMAGAZINE.com
Beret. The mission of the organization is “To plant, grow, and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community leadership.” It was created to be more than just a fitness group. At the time, Whitmire and Redding had no clue of the powerful impact their organization would have on fitness everywhere, as F3 fitness groups have spread all over the world. “It’s that small group and that community focus that brings men together, challenging them and making them better,” Francois says. F3 and the Coastal Empire F3 found its way to Savannah in 2015, then Pooler in 2016; thereafter, groups expanded to Richmond Hill and parts of Effingham County, all making up the
