Leeds United star Robin Koch was the special guest at a Leeds United Foundation Fit Fans reunion event recently, joining a group of male and female participants at Elland Road.

As part of an exclusive health and wellbeing session, with current and past participants from the initiative both in attendance, it was a chance for the Whites defender to learn more about how the programme offers support to people in the local community who are wanting to make small and beneficial changes to their lifestyle.

During the session, participants had the opportunity to ask a number of questions around how Robin finds life as a professional footballer, including seeking further information about his diet, favourite exercises, mental health battles and how he keeps himself motivated.

The Q and A with the German international enabled the members to get a real insight into life at Leeds United, and how Robin found the move from Germany to Leeds, especially during what was already a difficult time with the COVID lockdowns.

Speaking to the group of participants, the 26-year-old said: "For me it’s all about balance, of course I have times when I like to treat myself, whether it is after a game or whilst I’m on holiday, but you just need to balance that with trying to be good throughout the week. Keeping myself motivated is obviously key but I love what I do and I always wanted to play football so for me I always remember that.

“I have had difficult periods, whether it’s through a longer injury when you are out of the team, and I always find that talking to people is the best thing to do, whether it’s family or friends or a colleague or teammate, it’s so important to talk.”

The Fit Fans initiative has been running for the last few years with men and women aged 35 to 60 taking part in a free 12-week weight management course. The programme is based around helping people in the local community maintain good mental health along with leading a healthier lifestyle.

The sessions are currently being held weekly at Elland Road, with each session involving discussions around diet, weight management, how to stick to healthy eating habits and looking at your intake of alcohol as well as looking at your mental health and speaking about how to stay motivated. The sessions also involve a physical element, encouraging the participants to take part in regular exercise that will help them to improve their quality of life.

If you would like to get involved in future cohorts or find out more information about the Fit Fans programme, please contact Rachel.Newman@leedsunited.com.