After all the bad press we've had recently, I though I'd share something a little more uplifting.
Tour Guide: LFC Saved My Life
Anfield tour guide Alan Herr has revealed how Liverpool FC's Action for Health programme helped save his life.
Alan, who has been an employee of the club for 14 years, was forced to undergo a quadruple heart bypass after suffering a heart attack in 2009. Back then he was 40 years old and weighed 19.5 stone.
He entered rehab from January to April 2010 where a blend of healthy eating and exercise, especially running, helped him to recover and lose seven stone in the process.
And on Wednesday morning he took time out from giving his hourly tour of Anfield to talk to Liverpoolfc.tv about his experiences and to offer advice to those in a similar position to the one he found himself in three years ago.
"In 2009 I had a massive heart attack. I was over 19.5 stone and I needed to change my lifestyle," said Alan. "Between the September of 2009 and Christmas that year I had to go for a quadruple bypass.
"At one point it was actually looking like I was going to be involved in a heart transplant. At the time I was a taxi driver. I wasn't exercising; I was drinking like everybody else but not overly so. From then to now I've got into a fitness regime and I have been road-running as well as other things.
"And on March 18 this year I'm going to be involved in the Liverpool half marathon and hopefully with the fitness I'm at now, it will actually bring me down to a time of about 2 hours 10 minutes. That's what I'm looking to do!"
Alan explained how Mark Haig, of the Liverpool FC Action for Health programme, asked him to consider becoming a 'guinea pig' for a new method of training called Techno Gym.
The scheme uses an electronic key that acts as a pedometer which can be plugged into a laptop to measure the distance a person has run and to digitally set challenges for their day.
Alan was keen to point out the profound affect that being linked to Liverpool Football Club can have on the success of a health programme.
He said: "If you see something like the Liverpool badge or the Liverpool emblem promoting something, as a Liverpool fan you just think: 'what's this about and how can I get involved?'
"If Liverpool FC are involved in a health programme you think: 'I might have a look at that and see what it's all about'. So it makes a massive difference."
Mark Haig echoed his sentiments, adding: "The whole of the programme is in partnership with Liverpool PCT and for me it's the power of the Liverpool badge that enables us to engage and meet and work with these people in our community.
"Firstly, we have to say a fantastic well done to Alan because, of his own volition, he started to change his life style because he did have a scare. But he is quite typical of a lot of the guys we see. In particular, in this city, we know that men die too early and too often and that's what this club is trying to address.
"We advise them on everything from healthier eating, cutting down on drinking and taking up more physical activity but we are giving people information about other services and agencies as well."
Alan's parting message was a thoughtful and important one. When asked what he would say to someone who was in a similar situation as he was three years ago, the tour guide replied: "Have a good look at yourself because life is precious.
"You don't know what's round the corner; you don't know what hand you are going to be dealt. I was lucky because I caught it at the right time. If someone is feeling a twinge, or thinking, 'I'm not quite right', get it seen to, whether you are a man or a woman. That's the major thing - your health. It's your number one priority."
Source: http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/tour-guide-lfc-saved-my-life
This Makes Me Proud of My Club
posted on 10/3/12
Don't go off on one pal, i'm just pointing out he should have enough self-respect to look after himself, his doctor had probably already told him to lose weight or pay the price so to try and paint a football club as some sort of saviour is a bit much, also what is a douche? i'm guessing you're american or something.
posted on 10/3/12
Not going off on one. Clearly (by your other posts) you're not a idiot, just that post was a bit silly really. Not everyone is directly in the middle of the BMI scale. Should these people not be encouraged to look after themselves by any 'company' they support? If this country was left to its own devices it'd probably sink due to all the fat f@cks who can't look after themselves.
Also, a douche is pretty much the only word I could think of that hadn't been banned and summed up your post pretty well. I (partially) blame US telly.
posted on 10/3/12
What is it with Taxi drivers. They always blame their "Sedentary" occupation for life's ailments. A full day sitting in a cab followed by a few hours in the pub and the rest siting in a chair watching the tv before going to bed for a lie down is hardly conducive to fitness and a slimline body capable of movement without coughing or panting for breath.
I dont know this mans family circumstances and he must be applauded for turning his life around but surely there must have been someone who cared enough to point out what should have been patently obvious to himself without the Pain, shock and subsequent hours of major surgery and treatment, thereby he would have undertaken such a course of lifestyle changes before this happened.
!( stone should have been sufficient enough for his own GP to have warned him of the possible consequences. Either he was not told or chose to ignore such advice and just went on hoping it would never happen.Unfortunately it does, to someone just like him every day of the week up and down the country. When will we ever learn?
posted on 10/3/12
Not going off on one. Clearly (by your other posts) you're not a idiot, just that post was a bit silly really. Not everyone is directly in the middle of the BMI scale. Should these people not be encouraged to look after themselves by any 'company' they support? If this country was left to its own devices it'd probably sink due to all the fat f@cks who can't look after themselves.
Also, a douche is pretty much the only word I could think of that hadn't been banned and summed up your post pretty well. I (partially) blame US telly.
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It's the same club that's probably selling him his half-time pies and chips, to be washed down with some fizzy coke no doubt, come on, if this man has family but it's taken the liverpool badge for him to do something about his obvious health problems then he should maybe see if they can do anything for his mental state too.
posted on 10/3/12
Good point Frankenstein, let's not forget until recently the club was sponsored by a brand of lager and had a branch of Mc Donalds in the ground.
Also surely there are more worthy causes LFC could give time and money to than fat taxi drivers that should know better?
posted on 10/3/12
It's a nice story and good to see that anyone can turn their life around.
Yeah, friends and family can try and make someone change but in reality it doesn't always work, coupled with the fact that it's not PC to criticise anyones lifestyle these days, even if it is killing them, so even approaching the subject can be taken the wrong way.
These health problems are only a problem for most people when it bites them, then they will get an opinion from everyone which is never as helpful as it is good willed.
Depending where you live will also depend on the level of help you get, I think it's a good thing the club are doing and the guy getting regular help rather than a 3-4monthly outpatients at his local hospital should be commended. Would be nice to see other clubs doing the same thing (if they don't already?).
posted on 10/3/12
"but surely there must have been someone who cared enough to point out what should have been patently obvious to himself"
I understand your point and that you mean a family member when you say 'someone who cared' but the fact is, (and the reason for the article in the first place)that for whatever reason the man got like that in the first place and whoever is in his life that didn't get through to him, LFC did get through to him.
Sometimes in life messages get through to you from the most unlikely sources. Very often it's from someone that is 'hero worshipped' and we wonder why they have more clout than our own families - but we just have to accept that's how it is. At least the message got through to him from somewhere!
posted on 10/3/12
What pathetic responses. Somepeople should take a long hard look at themselves.
posted on 10/3/12
Thank you mr perfect!
posted on 10/3/12
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5J0_ggL9hC0/TceETdEJlJI/AAAAAAAALQU/8SvlFMTvexI/s400/wwf+mr+perfect.jpg