A unique men’s workout group that originated in North Carolina in 2011 has found its way to Zionsville.
F3 Nation is a network of free, peer-led workouts for men in the United States. The organization iis estimated to have more than 40,000 active participants in 39 states.
The group’s stated mission is “to plant, grow and serve small men’s workout groups for the invigoration of male community leadership.” The three F’s in F3 stand for fitness, fellowship and faith.
Besides being free and peer led, the group’s principles are it’s always outside, open to all men and ends in a circle of trust. Men who participate in two workouts are given a nickname.
“My nickname is McStuffins, like the Disney Junior character, because I’m a physician myself,” member Grant Gilroy said. “I’m a pulmonary and critical care doctor. I’m the chief of medical services at Roudebush VA. I have three daughters who like the TV show, ‘Doc McStuffins.’”
Dr. Grant Gilroy, a Zionsville resident and site leader, has met with the group in the parking lot of Zionsville Presbyterian Church since June 2020.
“The group started in Carmel five years ago,” Gilroy said. “And that group had started from someone who had moved here from down south.”
In the past several months, the F3 group has expanded into Mulberry Fields Park a few days a week.
Gilroy said people from Zionsville who were part of the group wanted to work out closer to their homes. He joined when it started in Zionsville because his gym was closed at the time because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The location and times of each workout can be found at the website f3indianapolis.com.