Hello from the RedShed!
I am glad you have visited our website, and are interested in learning about the trainers. I am more than happy to provide my work and life experiences to you in an effort to gain your respect as a prospective “ShedHead”!
My love for fitness began at a young age. I loved sports, and I was always interested in learning how to become a better athlete. My hard work in the gym and on the track earned me several honors as a high school athlete.
Entering into college, I continued along my path to achieve fitness. I studied Physical Education at East Stroudsburg University and graduated with a BS in Movement Studies and Exercise Science. As a student as ESU, I played on the Rugby Team for four years. During my senior season, I was the 8-man, and we won the first playoff game in the team’s history. I can honestly say that Rugby is the most violent sport I have ever played or witnessed in person. In addition, I learned many life lessons on the Rugby field… more so than I have learned in any other sport. To this day, I use those experiences to help me through tough times.
My first job out of college was at the Sports Conditioning Institute (now known as Parisi Speed School). From there, I moved to the corporate fitness arena, where I worked for HealthFitness for several years. I continued training myself and others during my career, and ended up as a full-time Personal Trainer at BlackBear Fitness in Lake Hopatcong, NJ. As my family grew, I returned to HealthFitness, which ultimately lead me to CrossFit. As I was training a client, she mentioned how the training sessions were a lot like how her brother trains. So, of course, I asked her “how does your brother train?”. One word… “CrossFit”. That very day, I researched it… and that was all she wrote!
At that moment, the transformation had begun. I ended up clearing out garage and accumulating equipment (and friends to use it). Before long, we had a little “CrossFit Clubhouse” with about ten CrossFitters. It had become clear to me that this was something special, and the changes that had occurred in my life due to CrossFit were too obvious to ignore. Affiliation was in our future.
As fate would have it, affiliation came much sooner than anticipated. I had received notice that my job was being terminated in July of 2008. So, I followed my heart, put the 3D’s in my pocket and started my own business. Janine and I went down to VA Beach to learn from the best, we came home with our Level 1 Cert (and some very sore legs)… and the rest is history!
Now I am not the kind of trainer that gets in your face, so if that is what you are looking for, your barking up the wrong tree. That is not to say that our gym is not intense, for the very opposite is true. We work hard to provide you with the tools that will help you realize your human potential. We work hard to provide the atmosphere where apathy comes to die! We will lead you to the pitcher of Kool-Aid, my friend… but it is up to you to drink it.
This is what I love to do, and I am thankful that I am of sound mind, body and spirit to do it. I am amazed everyday when I witness the accomplishments of the human spirit. It’s all about you, my friends, and how CrossFit can improve your life. The RedShed is a family of athletes who work together to achieve the goal of ultimate fitness. We don’t forget where we came from and who helped us along the way… and neither should you! We are on this journey together, on good days and bad.
That’s my story, and I am sticking to it!
