Fat Farmers exercise group boosts mental and physical health in rural SA, Victoria

Twelve years ago, three middle-aged farmers were taking a hard look at themselves and were not satisfied with their current situation.

“We all stopped playing football and had families,” Ben Wandershitz said.

“Then, in my 30s and beyond, I started eating a bit of fast food and going to my kids’ sporting events. [and] We have lost the motivation to improve our own fitness.”

The farmers, from Maitland on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, decided to give their local gym a try.

“To be honest with you, my wives also noticed that all three of us snored, so we scheduled a sleep apnea test, and when I was done, the doctor just said I needed to lose weight, basically,” he said.

“Eventually we all stopped snoring and we thought, ‘OK, maybe we could get some more people involved.'”

To boost enthusiasm, a breakfast barbecue was organised and was attended by around 20 mostly middle-aged farmers.

Since then, the South Australian rural health initiative has expanded to Victoria, benefiting around 20 rural communities.

The group soon became known as the Fat Farmers, and the catchy name was part of their appeal, even if it wasn’t exactly politically correct, co-founder Greg Heene said.

“Years ago, I came in here one day and yelled, ‘Hey, you fat f**king farmers,’ and it just stayed that way,” he said.

“So I insist on it.”

Wundersitz said he had considered changing the name.

“We have definitely been asked if we want to change the name to ‘Fit Farmers,'” he said.

Push-ups save lives

Behind this tongue-in-cheek name lie life-changing results for farmers like Cameron Ferguson.

“I think my physical strength was next to nonexistent. I don’t think I’d even done a push-up,” he said.

Wundersitz said he was also surprised by the impact the combination of exercise and peer interaction had on farmers’ mental health.

“And I think that’s what motivates me to keep going.”

Mental health benefits were the main reason Sam and Nicole Crother decided to help set up a fat farmers group in Millicent, in south-east South Australia, where farmers were dealing with one of the driest seasons for years.

A few years ago, Closer was also struggling.

“I was pushing myself too hard and I was kind of at my limit,” he said.

It showed him the toll that not getting rest can take on life on earth.

“There are people who are suffering right now, so I feel a strong desire to help my friends.”

“It’s not our thing.”

Some of the farmers Crowther contacted were reluctant to travel to the gym for weekly early morning classes.

“If you had asked me a few years ago, I probably would have given the same answer,” he said.

One man who quickly took up the challenge was Andrew Skeer, who had already overcome hardships in his life.

“My life changed dramatically, but it didn’t end there.

“Even if the instructor says it might not be possible, I’ll just gently challenge them and try anything I can.”

He hadn’t skipped since he was 10 years old, but he learned to skip.

For most of the Millicent Fat Farmers, the gym was a pleasant surprise, mixing familiar skills like the eponymous “farmer’s carry” with less familiar exercises like boxing and stretching.