By Heather Bennett Eye
We all want to be the best version of ourselves—the friend who shows up when needed, the parent who guides with love, the partner who supports through good times and bad, the employee who gives their best with integrity. But finding that first step can feel overwhelming. For men along the Emerald Coast, F3 offers a way forward.
Founded in 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina, F3 is a nationwide network of free, peer-led workouts with a simple mission: “to plant, grow, and serve small workout groups for the invigoration of male community leadership.” The three “Fs” stand for Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith – faith being a belief in something larger than yourself. Across all 50 states with more than 5,600 weekly gatherings, men of all ages discover a place to belong, strengthen their bodies, and build character and community.
What makes F3 unique isn’t just the workouts, it’s the accountability and community that comes with it. If you miss a workout at a gym, no one might notice. If you miss an F3 workout, people will know. Your fellow members care about your physical and personal growth; they want to know how you’re doing and what’s going on in your life.
Our local chapter, F3 Emerald Coast, was started in 2023 by two men, who were joined shortly after by Gordon Emerson, who is 71 years old. Gordon started his F3 journey in 2016 in Waynesville, North Carolina, and enjoys maintaining his fitness and growing friendships. After moving to 30A, Gordon missed the camaraderie he’d found up north and was excited to find the fledgling F3 chapter here.
Nathan Faber, 39, who had discovered F3 in 2022 in Colorado, started coming to the 30A group when he saw it posted on the official national F3 map. He was also missing the energy boost and brotherhood that F3 offers. “Aside from the price being right (F3 is always free), I really enjoy the fellowship and meeting other guys who are local, being able to work out, and do other activities outside of working out, to develop our community,” stated Nathan.
F3 Emerald Coast welcomes men of all ages and fitness levels to participate. They have a small core group that greatly expands during the summer, and on spring and fall breaks, when other vacationing F3 members from around the country want a workout. The exercises are led by different members who volunteer each week. “When people are visiting, we love to have them lead workouts. We get to see new exercises that we haven’t thought of,” said Gordon. “That’s one thing I enjoy,” added Nathan, “You never know what you’re going to get.”
The group meets at Ed Walline Regional Beach Access parking lot and works out on the beach in the summer or the grassy lawn at Gulf Place in the winter. Exercises consist of lifting cinder blocks, body weight exercises, running and physical games. All workouts can be modified for your fitness level. “We don’t want anyone to get hurt. We just want you to show up every week, get better every week and just be a part of the group,” said Gordon. “It’s really just you now versus you the week before,” added Nathan. The goal is not to be competitive with each other, but to continually improve yourself week over week. “If you’re the last person in the pack running, someone will drop back and run with you,” stated Nathan. There’s no man left behind during an F3 workout, but no one will be left where they are found.
More than the workouts and physical improvement, there’s the support and connection that men build in F3. “We always end the workout with a Circle of Trust. You have the opportunity to share what you’re going through, what’s on your mind, concerns you have, or good things that are happening,” said Gordon. “That’s not always easy to do. For me personally, it’s very hard to share something deep that’s on my mind. It helps me to see we’ve all got things weighing on our minds, and it’s nice to know somebody’s there.”
As a member of F3, communication is as easy as reaching out on a Slack channel. You can reach out at any time and find someone who can help if you’re in need, from something as simple as getting a ride because your car broke down to moving help, aid while traveling, disaster support, and more. With F3 being a national network, members are never alone nearly anywhere in the United States.
Both men credit F3 with personal growth. Nathan attributes F3 to building his confidence and making him a better leader. He usually works independently in his job, and F3 has boosted his confidence by giving him the chance to lead group workouts. “In F3 when you’re the leader, everyone is listening to you, and they might need direction from you. Having that confidence to communicate clearly, and to bring others alongside you, even if it’s just in a workout, it’s something I’ve developed and it’s transferred to other areas of my life,” said Nathan.
For Gordon, F3 has kept him engaged and involved in a community of fellowship. “I’m typically an introverted person. I’ve met some of my best friends through F3, and the interaction with other people and what I get from them makes me a better person,” said Gordon. “Even on the days I don’t want it, it’s what I need. It’s good for me.”
Gordon and Nathan are also looking for ways that F3 can be more involved in the community. Gordon’s F3 group in North Carolina helped with hurricane recovery and Nathan’s group in Colorado would volunteer to pick up furniture and serve at food banks. Being stewards of the Emerald Coast community is something they look forward to growing as their F3 continues to gain more members.
Men of all ages in the local community are encouraged to join F3 Emerald Coast on Tuesday mornings at 5:45 a.m. at Ed Walline Regional Beach Access. For those further east, there is also a Thursday group that meets at 5:45 a.m. at Pier Park in the Margaritaville Parking lot. Workouts are open to all ages and fitness levels. There’s no religious denomination or political affiliation. There’s no specific type of person they are looking to join, except those who want to become a better version of themselves.
“Any guy who wants to get better physically, but also wants to have a way to deal with stress, a way to build bonds with other men, wants a way to be a better father, husband, son, person in your community, F3 is a great way to start,” said Nathan. “The only cost is showing up.”
If you’d like more information on F3, please visit their website at https://www.f3emeraldcoast.com.
