My wife and I moved to Rye just before my daughter finished pre-school. My wife did some research and found that Rye had some of the best schools in the country. We were from the city and moving was a bit of a change for me. I was just in the process of getting myself back in shape. I came from a boxing background and was a professional boxer, a Golden Glove champion. But I had been at home, being a dad.
My wife had been saying to me – “Why don’t you start training people, you’ve been boxing since you were 16 years old. Take some of that knowledge and pass it on to people. Do what you like to do!” And it really just hit me. The lightbulb went off. My job in the city was boring, I felt like it was taking years off my life. I started working at the Rye Y and that was just the icing on the cake. Laura Laura helped me get my certifications and I thought “Why didn’t I do this 10 years ago?”
I started building my confidence in myself. I was working in a place where I genuinely enjoyed being and making friends. My family is part of the Rye Y. My wife and daughter come here. When I come here with my daughter, she knows more people than me. And I love that.
My daughter spent the past three summers in camp here. Last summer she did gymnastics camp. At first we were a little worried because she wouldn’t be going outside and might be bored. The first week she absolutely loved it and asked me if she could come back next year. She loved the staff, she loved the kids. I like being right in the building and able to check on her.
The more time I spend here, the more relationships I’ve built and the more I love it. Now I’m training people of all ages from 14 year-olds to 73 year-olds. It is a really great feeling. I’m able to relate to members who want to get in shape but have no clue how. My father was a body builder, so I was born into being athletic. I wanted to learn how to help people who aren’t athletic. I learned how to be patient. Some people have to do things over and over until they get it – but once they get it, that motivation and dedication – it makes me feel really good.
I have a client who when we started over a year ago kept telling me “No.” He was so discouraged about the things he couldn’t do and I kept telling him, you have to keep doing it, over and over. Just yesterday we were working out and I said – “Look at yourself in the mirror – you have a chest now, you can see your muscles. You look great!” I was even impressed. He said “Wow, There are muscles here.” We fixed his posture. We fixed his confidence. He feels so great that now his wife wants to work out because she’s seen his transformation. It makes me happy. When you see
those results, it’s amazing.
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