While I grew up in and around the fitness industry, I entered it as an “adult” fitness professional around the same time as my close friend, Jose. Jose is an extremely humble man and a tremendous athlete, but you can find out a bit more about him here or maybe here or even here. He has an unprecedented work ethic and passion for fitness, but his desire to become better at his craft isn’t based off a want to make money or be famous… he wants to help people. He’s in it for the right reason and that is why Jose is so effective.
On my last trip to NYC, I sat down with Jose for dinner and found out that he had been doing something amazing, and amazingly different from his past training clients at big name gyms such as Crunch. While Jose was still sticking to his roots in the Bronx and working with clients in low-income and rough neighborhoods, he was spending less time in the gym with your typical clients and more time in a new unique space.
Jose started working with the Axis Project back in July, as a boxing coach for individuals wheelchair-bound. Despite their boundaries, these athletes were putting in work like any other individual. Aside from modified footwork, their straights, jabs, hooks, and uppercuts were sharp and their boxing coach made sure every detail was right. It’s easy to attend a certification course and become an instructor, but the best of the fitness industry are those that have to adapt based on who they’re working with. While some shy away from it and stay in their comfort zone, Jose is one of the few that welcomes the challenge.
Jose wouldn’t have had the opportunity to work with these people if it wasn’t for great organizations such as Wheeling Forward. Wheeling Forward is a registered 501c3 (charity) that has allowed these individuals to try adaptive boxing, waterskiing, surfing, and even scuba diving. If you check out their website you can see all of the amazing activities that they are facilitating. While we constantly look for excuses to try to justify our lack of progress, these individuals that have some of the most significant physical handicaps are doing the opposite. They’re moving forward with all that they have.
Everyone in their journey to become a healthier version of themselves faces significant adversity on the way to their goals. It’s how you deal with those challenges that dictates your success and ability to move forward. Check out Jose, an individual that has overcome huge barriers to succeed, and is now giving back by helping the individuals at the Axis Project that need great people like Jose to continue wheeling forward. We all need to help one another in the grand effort to become hungry and fit!
That’s a great article….nothing but the truth….we all love you at Axis Joe.. welcome to the family!!!