Hi, my name is Mike Zabbo and I’m honored to have been selected as the April member spotlight! My journey started 3 years ago when I was encouraged by a colleague who was a Punch Kettlebell Gym member years ago. With limited success and motivation to exercise in years past, I felt that the group environment may be the change I so desperately needed…and it was!
My introduction to the gym was an orientation with Alicia, who as most of you know, is just an incredible person in every way. I came to that orientation with limited confidence and a lingering disappointment with my weight and strength. Her comments and positive attitude convinced me to at least give it a shot and I quickly fell in love with the unique balance of strength training and cardio in all the classes. Couple that with Kerry’s dancing to 90’s hip hop and Colin dropping some funk and knew I was home.
Typically, you’ll find me in class at the 5 o’clock hour given that the gym is very close to my employer on New Rd. Repeatedly going at the same time, I became friendly with a few regulars; Frank Wilhelm, Mike Furtado, Jake and Grant Cohen to name a few. It was highly motivating to see them all a few times per week and develop such great friendships. It was also a lot of fun to bust Mike’s chops about his short shorts or revealing muscle shirts!
In the middle of summer that year, Frank held one of his incredible house parties and the collective group convinced me to do the Superhero Academy. I know that a few others have mentioned how amazing that program is but that doesn’t do it justice; it was a game changer for me. If you haven’t tried it, I can’t recommend it enough. The eating and meal prep were tough, but the results were incredible and the amount of strength gained was more than I had ever seen. I felt like an absolute beast… and then Covid hit.
The separation from the gym made it very hard for me to stay focused, but 212 went above and beyond to support their members. With the equipment sharing and remote classes, there were options available to stay on track. Despite all of that, I still couldn’t stay motivated and got depressed about my lack of training and climbing weight gain. During this time, I received a few emails from Kerry, Colin and Sean checking in, asking me “How are you doing? Let us know if we can help!” It only took a few of these emails to sink in…that I really needed to get my butt in gear and keep moving!
When I was finally ready, the team was there. That family was there. Every trainer still knew me by name and encouraged me to come back one step at a time. Always saying hello when you walk in and always available for help. Sean specifically helped me numerous times when I had weird ailments and needed an opinion on what to do to relieve the pain. His knowledge about the human body, willingness to meet up and his suggestions of targeted stretching helped solidify my return.
These examples of my experiences are very similar to many others. The 212 staff and all if its members are truly a blessing. That feeling of home and family is contagious when you walk through those doors. The adage of “Home is where the Heart is” seems quite relevant; nothing but heart pours out of the entire community. I consider my membership more akin to a partnership in my fitness journey, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Love you guys!