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<p>Recent years have seen a rise in fitness philanthropy, a leisure practice that combines physical activity with charitable efforts to promote personal health and social good. Despite its notable benefits for individuals and society, fitness philanthropy has received limited attention in research, and how it is practiced within a virtual community to address social and health problems remains largely unknown. This study applied Self-Categorization Theory (SCT) to explore the experiences of fitness philanthropy among members of the Potterhead Running Club (PHRC), a Harry Potter fandom-based Facebook community. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, posts and reactions from the virtual community were analysed thematically, resulting in four themes: (1) adoption and maintenance of healthy lifestyle, (2) #somuchgood: shared values and identity, (3) thematic design, (4) community policing. The findings showed that PHRC members’ collective engagement in philanthropy was shaped by group identity and group prototypes centred around fandom, running, and philanthropy. The findings highlighted theoretical connections between social identity, virtual community, well-being, and philanthropic initiatives. It further contributed to understanding how social media can be leveraged to create real-world positive social impact.</p>

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Changing the World One Mile at a Time: Fitness Philanthropy in a Virtual Community

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年5月29日

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  • Xin Du,
  • Bin Lizzo

摘要

Recent years have seen a rise in fitness philanthropy, a leisure practice that combines physical activity with charitable efforts to promote personal health and social good. Despite its notable benefits for individuals and society, fitness philanthropy has received limited attention in research, and how it is practiced within a virtual community to address social and health problems remains largely unknown. This study applied Self-Categorization Theory (SCT) to explore the experiences of fitness philanthropy among members of the Potterhead Running Club (PHRC), a Harry Potter fandom-based Facebook community. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, posts and reactions from the virtual community were analysed thematically, resulting in four themes: (1) adoption and maintenance of healthy lifestyle, (2) #somuchgood: shared values and identity, (3) thematic design, (4) community policing. The findings showed that PHRC members’ collective engagement in philanthropy was shaped by group identity and group prototypes centred around fandom, running, and philanthropy. The findings highlighted theoretical connections between social identity, virtual community, well-being, and philanthropic initiatives. It further contributed to understanding how social media can be leveraged to create real-world positive social impact.