I have yet to accomplish any of my goals. Even as I fight back through seemingly
countless surgeries and post videos of post surgery PRs and what not, I have
not come anywhere close to reaching my potential as a coach or
weightlifter. I have a vision, and
though I am just beginning to truly realize it, I wake up every morning and seize
the opportunity to move a step closer towards my goals. Open a gym, get back on the
platform, defy my body and those who think I should give up my athletic
pursuits, enter and win a weightlifting meet, and help to make those around me
better themselves in the gym and reach a better quality of life are all goals
that I will achieve in time.
However, recent events have made me consider exactly why I do what I do.
Since I started this blog over two years ago, and began
gathering a group of athletes and like-minded individuals to train with me and
join me on this journey, there have always been those who mocked me and hated
on what I do. Likewise, there have
been those who have supported me in every step. People like my mother, my father, my brother, my close
friends Mike Mancino, Nick Alvarez, Brian Pisano, Dykota Hillman, Nick “Meat”
Leonte, Dimi Artale, Mike Santos and so many others have embraced my passion
for strength training and made it a part of their lives, pushing me and
inspiring me on a daily basis.
At the same time, there are voices whispering behind my
back, laughing at my “obsession,” mocking our pride in personal records and hard,
chalk-covered squat sessions early in the morning. To those who try to bring us down to their level, I have no
time, and no patience. They are
not like us. They have no passion,
they have no drive, they don’t possess the burning desire to challenge themselves
and reach their full potential on a daily basis. They also don’t feel the pride and fulfillment that my
athletes and I feel when we reach the goals we set for ourselves. They will never understand us, and to
be honest, I could care less.
I’m not here to show off. I’m not here to make my athletes or myself out to be better
then anyone else. I do what I do
because it brings me happiness, it brings me fulfillment, and most importantly,
it has helped those around me find the same. If I can have a positive impact on even one person’s life,
then my pursuits have been worthwhile.
So for those who spit behind our backs, we are ahead of you, and I will
never let someone else’s negativity deprive myself or my athletes of the
motivation that lifts us out of bed every morning with one thing on our minds: greatness. Not greatness in the eyes of others, but greatness in our
own eyes. The hard work, the
sweat, the PRs, the failure, the obsessive drive for success has never been
about proving a point, but about reaching one’s full potential, regardless of
what that may be.
No matter what your passion is, regardless of what it is, do
what you love and do it to the best of your abilities. Inspire and encourage others, bring
them up instead of putting them down, and celebrate your victories with
them. When you think you’ve gone
far enough, go further. When you
question if you’re overdoing something, do it more. Embrace the journey and relish the successes and failures it
brings you. Along the way, cherish
the relationships you build with those who think like you and support you, and smile
at those who spew negativity at you, for they will never know what you know.
Remember, “Anything in life worth doing is worth
overdoing. Moderation is for
cowards,”—Lone Survivor
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