A new partnership with BBM Motivation
Exciting news! We are so pleased to have partnered with Dave Letele and the BBM Program; a health, fitness and wellbeing program that sees thousands of participants across Auckland, make healthier choices and see real results.
BBM is helping to turn around the lives of many Pacific people who suffer from obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mental health issues and more. As a Pacific-led PHO with a mission to transform the health and wellbeing of Pacific and high-needs communities, the partnership is one that makes sense. In this partnership, we have a real opportunity to help significantly reduce health inequities for our Pacific population, while supporting our Practice network and enrolled patients, with the delivery of an exclusive health and well-being service, a variation of which, we can already see working at a grass-roots community level.
Founder of BBM, Samoan boxer Dave Letele, is the first to tell you that four years ago he was in a bad way – 210kgs, broke, broken and broken-hearted having lost his business, family and his home. He turned his life around and now spends it, helping others do the same. Driven through the Facebook group @BBM Motivation Dave has created an online community with over 13,000 members and his boot camps attract those who want to get healthy in a safe and supportive space.
BBM runs at least 17 FREE boot camps weekly, in three locations in South, West and Central Auckland and participants are welcomed into the BBM family that lives by the culture of #noexcuses (and #nojudgements). Supporting the boot camps or for those who don’t live close by, BBM also has an app based program which includes fitness programs, healthy meal plans and more. Watch this space for more developments on our work together!
An insight into a BBM boot camp session:
A couple of (brave!) staff members from AH+ attended a Monday evening boot camp session in Manukau at ‘BBM HQ’, although we left with sore bodies we also left with a full hearts – the boot camp space was filled to capacity with all shapes, sizes, ages (including children – at BBM sessions children are welcomed, in fact bringing your kids is encouraged so they can see their parents exercising and looking after their health – leading by example).
We found ourselves a space over in the corner, as far towards the back as was possible – nervous and a little shy! As it turns out there was no need for this, at BBM everyone is made to feel like part of the family, and it became clear as the class started, just why their attendee numbers are so high and why people keep going back. The atmosphere was motivating, accepting, inclusive….not only the team leaders encouraged and supported you, but so too did your fellow exercisers; strangers offering high fives, words of encouragement, slaps on sweaty backs.
BBM have not only created fitness sessions, but perhaps their heartening results come from the fact that they have also created a unique and safe community….a larger Pacific family as they like to say.
Head over to @brownbuttabean on Facebook to see and hear more about the positive impact BBM is making.