02/19/2025
My Story:
While I have recently become certified as a Certified Personal Trainer through ISSA, I have been around the sports and fitness world since I was a kid. With that said I felt that as an important step in the process of wanting to help others achieve their own fitness goals that I give some insight into my journey from my passion of sports starting as a child to my health and weight struggles that led to surgeries and hospitalizations to the path to where I am now so that others will know that your path is not always going to be smooth sailing.
Way back when I fell in love with sports ss an avid baseball and football player growing up to testing the waters in sports like basketball, golf and bowling in my spare time I formed a passion for sports and the atmosphere it creates. I became a massive sports fan especially in the NFL, College Football and the MLB but I still to this day catch myself watching any competitive sport in my free time including hockey, UFC and more. Like many kids I too had the dream of becoming a major league athlete but that hope, while the chances were very minimal in reality, was completely derailed when I was hit by a drunk driver as a teenager. So for several years there was a fear that the wrong hit or jolt could reaggrevate the concern from the accident so I watched from the sideline moving forward. As a VERY competitive person I missed the personal gratification of competing but I learned to love different sports even more by seeing it from a different perspective. I could never get enough of helping in some very small way with my youngest brothers development in sports by never letting them win in wiffle ball in the yard or basketball in the driveway and as they finished their athletic paths I was able to have a front row as their biggest fan.
So when I graduated high school I knew what I wanted to be. I wanted to Coach and teach. I began college to pursue my degree in Health & Physical Education. At the time it seemed like the perfect career path for me. It would fuel my passion for sports while allowing me to play a role in young lives to hopefully make a difference. Then a year and a half in to this I was blessed with my first kid. At only 19 years old and obviously already knowing everything there was to know about life and being an adult I knew that finishing my degree was going to be a breeze while being a new Father. Needless to say I was wrong. Most people do not plan on becoming a parent at 19 years old but I would not go back and change that for the world. Did it create hurdles? Sure. Did it force me to “grow up” quickly? Absolutely. So part of that process was getting a job and providing for my family and in doing so I became fixated on that and done a poor job of balancing my schooling with my every day responsibilities and chose to withdraw from by classes and focus on what I considered as being an adult. This decision was 100% my decision and again as I reflect on it, is not a decision I regret in the big picture.
As my oldest son got to the ripe age of three it was time for the competitive juices and coaching vision to take charge in the highly competitive fast paced world of tee ball. Tee ball led to basketball and basketball to football and along the way I became a Dad again and again to the tune of two boys and one girl by the time I was 24 years old. That same mindset reigned strong in me that my focus had to be on financially providing for my family but the avenue of coaching youth sports at the time throughout the entire year in several sports always gave me a sense of purpose. Being able to experience this along side my own kids in numerous sports and at times being that same #1 fan in the front row for them that I learned to love with my brothers when I was younger has always been a motivating force for me. I have found it rewarding after many years of playing a very small part in other kids lives through sports that when I see one of those kids I coached in any form or fashion still run up to give a hug or simply say hey that many years ago when I was in high school and was answering the age old question of, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” that my answer was correct.
Well the answer to that question is one of the driving forces along with my kids and those closest to me in the decisions I have made recently. Life as many of you know has endless curve balls, hurdles and dead ends and how we respond to those are important. Hitting things head on is much better than sitting on your hands and doing nothing. When I was younger I was taught the do’s and don’t in regards to my health. I knew what I should and shouldn’t eat and knew my way around a gym fairly well. After having my third child the majority of that was out the door as we lived on the go at ball fields and fast food and junk food was the norm. Working full time and chasing kids to and from their events made it easier to just ditch the exercise routine and eat whatever I could get my hands on and that is exactly what I done. This was the year round process for many years and in 2016 I was surprised with my fourth kiddo. The timing of him growing into sports and the growth of my older kids has now allowed me to be part of the youth sports world for over 17 years now in many different capacities with the consistency of it being that I have coached all 17 years in one or more sports every single year. During those years I have made more friends than can be counted and those who are nearest and dearest to me now were met because of my passion for youth sports which also happens to be my biggest supporters in the recent journey along with many family members and for that I am very appreciative.
Over the last several years I had began to struggle with my weight and overall health due to years of lack of focus and in 2023 it led to a body weight that exceeded 405 pounds with a laundry list of medical issues and concerns. A simple trip to Walmart required an electric wheel chair because I could not walk for more than 5 to 10 minutes at a time and the mental and physical pain was brutal. I could not focus, my daily brain function was cloudy, stress was through the roof and swollen feet and knee and back pain that brought tears at times. The love for coaching had never left but what example was I setting for the kids around me in this condition? Ultimately it was pathetic and I knew I needed to change especially when I was physically incapable of bending over to show a kid how to field a ground ball anymore. Real life issues needed real life solutions and it was time to wake up. That final wake up call to truly make a change for better health was when I was having non stop elbow pain and could no longer play catch with my kids at all and I visited a doctor. After several visits and then an ultrasound that led to an MRI it was discovered that I had a tumor on my right elbow. My treating doctor at the time wanted to remove the mass but point blank told me I was too heavy for him to do surgery on. That was the surreal moment for me. I was being told I needed to see an Oncologist for the tumor but on the flip side I am being told that I am too heavy to be operated on. The decision was simple...get healthier or be six feet under before the age of 40 potentially.
So after several additional doctor visits we found a surgeon that was willing to do the surgery and in January 2024 the elbow tumor was removed and thankfully was determined to be benign. That was the moment that I knew I was going to get better and start a new outlook on things. Little did I know that 2024 was only beginning to be a roller coaster experience like never before. Between January and August I had three surgeries including bariatric surgery, the elbow surgery and spine procedures that was all a precursor for an unexpected stroke from a blood clot that resulted in a three day ICU stay in August leading to left side weakness afterwards. In years past I would have frankly just wanted to throw in the towel but my mindset was different now. I refused to lay down without a fight. I had something to prove and this time it was not to prove myself to others it was to prove myself right. So the recovery and daily grind of a healthier lifestyle continued and at the time I was going to finish 2024 on a high note with running in my first ever 5K race. This was planned as a family shindig for December as a “I did it” type moment since the entire year had been filled with chaos. Then as fate would have it or what I very much believe now was the Devil would have it, I was injured while working that resulted in a severe abdominal wall tear causing a hernia. This surgery and recovery was by far the worst of any to this point and made surgery number four for the year. The timing was incredible too as my full release date from my doctor was two days before the 5K that was months in the planning. So I had two choices...use the injury and recovery as an excuse and not compete in the 5K or suck it up and do it. I went with the second option and had one simple goal, finish it! I was successful in doing just that and while I did not set any Olympic time trial records I went from not being able to walk through Walmart for 10 minutes to not stopping to take a break at all in a 5K in less than a year.
Leading up to the hernia surgery I done some more soul searching and when I mentioned I truly believe the Devil was trying to work his magic through me I made a few decisions. I decided to start reading the Bible a little more by using my son’s Bible. Months and years ago I would not have admitted this to anyone but sadly as an adult I have NEVER owned my own Bible. I have always been a believer and as a child I grew up around a great church family for several years but as an adult I just let other things become more important. I would just chalk things up to “bad luck” and now I realize it wasn’t bad luck it was a lack of motivation, concentration and commitment. So someone who I consider a friend met me one day after I reached out to him based on a conversation he had with me in one of the toughest times I was having during the Spring of 2024 when he prayed with me and that moment stuck with me. Months later as I was sitting in the bed recovering from my last surgery that I wanted advice and within a week I had a Bible in my hand as a gift from him. In this same time frame I wanted to figure out what was next for me. Working in the construction industry for years can take a toll on your physically and frankly mentally as well and while I enjoy the work I wondered is that all I am suppose to do. I decided it wasn’t and I started researching then applying then studying and since have become a Certified Personal Trainer with ISSA. The research I done led me to start this part of my journey because it is another form of coaching which I have a passion for. It is a way to help others and I hope that even if it is just one person, young or old, that I can help not go down the path I did and suffer the hurdles I suffered then it is worth it. As of today, as I type this I am down 166 total pounds in less than a year. The weight loss was the ultimate goal to start with and the weight loss has been a huge success but what I have learned is to embrace the process and hit hurdles head on and not blame things on bad luck. My health journey will always be a work in progress as I now try to take discouragements and turn them to motivation. I now see my kids and step kid working their tails off in the gym to be a better version of themselves and while they never have to say that I have played a small factor in that I would like to think that trying to lead by example instead of leading with bad habits has played a role.
Everyone has a choice and you have no clue when a minor choice to lend a shoulder to cry on and say a prayer like I had happen in the Spring with the friend I mentioned will make all the difference in the world. The choice I made to pursue a CPT license was made in silence. I wanted to surprise my family and friends again just to prove to myself I could accomplish it and while I was studying in silence starting during my recovery time from surgery and leading into AM workouts with one of my son’s I have had another friend that is working with him make the statement that it is never too late to start something and that is so true. It solidified my decision to pursue the CPT license but it also led me right into the decision to re-enroll in college course online to complete what I once started. While the ups and downs of life teach valuable lessons there are a few moments you pause and wonder “what if” and one of those moments for me is what if I finish my degree. I am not sure where it leads me but I am glad I am going to find the finish line of that now. Again small gestures of support and good will can go a long ways!
So now that I have bored anyone who has spent the time to read this I want to finish by saying that my pursuit of being a Certified Personal Trainer was not for an instant career path change it was simply to prove to myself that I can be more than I once was and every moment spent on studying and testing is worth it if I can help just one person along the way. I want to help the youth learn to love hard work and fitness and I want to be a resource for those who have had weight and health issues like I have. Going to a gym can be intimidating and seeking advice and guidance from someone who may have never experienced the struggles you have can also be a mountain to climb in regards to confidence so if that is you then do not hesitate to reach out to me. I understand the struggles and can relate and by no means am I believing that someone who has been in the personal training world for many years or decades cannot help everyone because I know they can but everyone is unique and everyone deserves the guidance and encouragement to be the best version of themselves and maybe just maybe someone who is struggling with obesity right now will be willing to open up to someone who understands that battle over someone who has not experienced it.
Timing is everything and for Christmas I received the daily devotional by Tim Tebow called Mission Possible. I love it. I sit down every morning with this 365 day devotional and during that process I stumbled across the word “telos” which translates to GOAL. The word telos has stuck with me since that morning and it has led to me setting many goals and will continue to do so moving forward. I want to make a difference to those who may need that extra boost of confidence so if I can ever do that please reach out. I now know without a doubt that my passion is helping others through coaching whether that is through health & fitness or on a sports field and by leading by example every day versus making excuses that I once did.
