Born and raised in Niskayuna, I came to Saratoga a few years back when I joined a good friend at a Kettlebell training studio. I am a strength coach and podcaster, as well as a writer in my spare time. I grew up with a love for everything athletic, and found myself always in some sporting event. When I was 14 years old, I had a major hip injury that required surgery, and it kept me away from sports, and most of my friends, for over two years. I used to look at this time as a time of struggle, but it actually ended up being a major blessing in my life. In my early 20’s, I met with a good friend who was a personal trainer and introduced me to Functional Movement training, and he did an assessment on me. I didn’t realize how imbalanced and out of whack my body was, due to this surgery years before. I began working with him on correcting these movement compensations, and I felt better than I ever did before. This started my obsession for strength and movement performance, which has turned into a 14 year career of strength coaching and Kettlebell Mastery.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
My family is like my best friends. My parents worked together for my whole upbringing. My father was a Dentist and my mother ran his private practice. We were a very close family always, and my older sister is one of the my best friends, and one of the most inspirational people I know.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
I spent over 10 years managing a small private owned fitness center, developing coaches and staff, then I joined my good friend in a training studio in 2018. We were building fast, then when COVID hit in 2020, it forced us to look at other options, especially the virtual side of coaching and fitness. Now, since last August, I’ve developed my own training company Breakthrough Secrets, where I coach busy individuals how to maximize the time they have in building lifelong strength in all areas of their lives.
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
I’m a huge fan of Seneca and Solevo.
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
I’ve lived and worked here since 2018, but was in Clifton Park for 10 years prior.
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
I don’t know here name, but as a health and fitness guy, there is a woman who I see running and biking almost everyday in Saratoga. She is an incredibly inspiring person.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
Aruba, my family has a home there, and every time I visit there, I get overwhelmed with positive emotion. The most beautiful place in the world.
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
The Godfather is #1, try and debate me. I’m a huge fan of the last kingdom on Netflix. If I could be anyone, I would be Uhtred, son of Uhtred.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
Be present in every moment. The most routine and mundane tasks we do everyday make up a lot of our lives, it’s easy to let those moments go by without any thought. This is why we say life goes so fast. Be present in everything, especially the “ordinary” moments.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
I don’t really do the bucket list, honestly it is to be a positive influence in as many lives as I can. Corny, I know, but that is my mission.
Q: What is your go to band when you can’t decide what to listen to?
I always end up in classic rock. The Who is my all-time favorite.
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
Kru Coffee gives me that Saratoga feeling more than anything.
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
Derek Jeter. He was my favorite growing up, and I would love to talk with him about his mindset on life since he retired. He would be especially interesting to talk with. I’d probably meet at Kru coffee for a breakfast sandwich and it’s a more quiet intimate environment.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
I love the waterfront park, going down there in the morning by the lake to train, it is the most beautiful spot, I love it.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
I want to build a home and in home training space, so I can work and train from home, and probably focusing most time on my podcast.
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I write poetry. I started it as a way to express myself differently, and fell in love with the process. Where most of my writing I think in sentences, in poetry I think in images, and then write the images.
Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
Aruba at sunset. There is truly nothing else like it I’ve seen in the world.
Q: Favorite month? favorite holiday? and best single day on the calendar?
I love September. It’s still nice out, but you get that feeling of fall. Christmas, hands down. Best day, Total shot in the dark but September 10th, it’s hot enough to go to the beach but a cool breeze at night.
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
I don’t ever use a 10 because you can always do better right? But push comes to shove, Seneca’s burger, it’s as close as it gets…
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
The fact that I have knowledge and ability that can help improves someone’s life through strength, and I will never meet everyone I could help, so I do my best everyday to help others.
Q: What is one or two of your favorite smells?
I used to walk in to my house when I was young and my mother was making marinara sauce…hard to beat that.
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
warmth, love, and joy
