On April 24th, 2015, ESPN College Football Analyst and former Minnesota Viking running back Robert Smith launched a new mobile-based app entitled Fan Health Network. Smith, both the creator and CEO of the company, partnered with former NFL athletes Tom Cousineau and Jay Fiedler back in 2012 with an idea to invent the Fan Health Network, an app that helps to inspire those who seek the motivation to lead healthier lives. With this app, now available on both Android and Apple, users are able to gain access to workouts, health tips, and advice from a variety of different current and former pro athletes, as well as compete in challenges with a chance to win various prizes.
In 2012, Smith and his partners discussed the possibilities of not only inspiring others to lead healthier lives, but also combining that incentive with their love of sports. Smith began talking to professionals at P4Medicine, looking for different ways of getting the message of preventative health to the public, and realized that sports could be a way to make this happen.
“The idea of using sports became an entry point”, Smith said. “If people begin to optimize their performance, they begin to optimize their health.”
The team began working with both AT&T and Seattle-based developer Taqtile, coming up with new ideas and making connections to people in related industries that would help the eventual launch of the Fan Health Network in June 2014. The app’s tagline reads “Live Healthier. Live Happier. Live Like a Champion” and is indicative of the goals many people set for themselves to truly live a happier and healthy life. The Fan Health Network is intended to support those trying to change their lives no matter how large or small those individual’s goals might be.
“It’s all about incremental change”, says Smith. “Incremental change and helping individuals to keep themselves motivated. We’re not trying to get everyone to run a 10k, just small changes to keep themselves healthy.”
With a variety of different categories, set across a wide age spectrum, users are able to choose what works best for them when pursuing a positive change in their health and wellness. Some of the features of the app include:
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Captains – A list compiled of current and former players, coaches and trainers, as well as media personnel and others related to sports that serve as representatives. Some of the celebrated names identified with being Captains include:
– Cris Carter – NFL Hall of Fame
– Billy Horschel – 2014 PGA Fed-X Cup winner
– Katie Smith – All Time leading WNBA scorer
– Caroline Lind – 2x Olympic Gold Medal winner currently training for Rio
– Datone Jone – current Green Bay Packer - Community: Users will be able to interact with the “Captains” through a social feed entitled “The Huddle”.
- Challenges: Users may complete specified challenges by the “Captains”, concerning health and wellness in order to receive points and badges.
- Content: Users will be granted access to a wide variety of articles licensed by EXOS, who have partnered with Fan Health Network, as well as the Mayo Clinic.
- Positive Peer Pressure: Users are given the opportunity to team up with both friends and family through the app. Recording or tracking a healthy behavior on a mobile device will alert a user via the mobile app when five or more members of their “group” participate in healthy activities.
“We want to become a resource for people everywhere with questions about healthy food, the ability to track their progress, and even the ability to consult with registered dietitians and medical professionals.”
Moving forward, the Fan Health Network will pursue other improvements including the ability to supply users with answers on a broad spectrum of questions about health and wellness. Smith says that responses from fans and the media has been tremendous, and the company plans on expanding the list of names on the “Captain’s” roster, as EXOS and the NFL are gradually looking to add others to be a part of the team. Smith was recently asked to speak publicly about the Fan Health Network, and will be speaking at one of Europe’s largest Tech conferences this coming September.